The Marinette Project
by dfcfanfics
Summary: Chat Noir notices that Marinette is feeling lonely in the summer. He sets out to lift her spirits with visits, some little surprises, and helping her make her Mystery Guy jealous. Her friends will be... surprised. Her parents are mostly amused. Her alter ego is soul-searching. And her Mystery Guy is... unprepared. Part 14, our epilogue, is up! Thank you SO MUCH for reading.
1. Ain't No Cure for the Summertime Blues

MiraculElse #5: The Marinette Project

by DFC

(Timeframe: Midpoint, Season 2. Post-Syren, perhaps, but it's not essential at all. Knowledge of Glaciator and the Marinette - Chat interactions therein WILL be very useful. Some tweaking applied, some context added, some more may be coming.)

* * *

On the last day of classes at Françoise Dupont High School, Marinette Dupain-Cheng was less enthusiastic than most of her classmates were. It was good to be done with homework, exams and being in the same room as Chloé Bourgeois on a daily basis, of course... but for Marinette, those were small prices to pay to be able to sit behind a certain blonde boy for hours at a time.

 _Would Adrien be in her class again next year? Would she see him at all over the break? Would he even remember her by the fall_?

Her rational mind knew that _of course_ she and Adrien would remain friends. Their paths were sure to cross now and then, and she would certainly hang out with Alya and get together with her other girlfriends and do things together. She wasn't a hermit or a leper; she could at least pretend to have a reasonable social life. But she'd spent months plotting out a few thousand ways to tell Adrien to his face that she adored him, she dreamed of him, she loved him utterly. She'd managed to execute precisely none of those plans and ideas from her school vantage point, one seat behind him... and now she was out of time.

Groups of friends moved past her as she stood at the front steps, lost in thought. Mylène and Ivan were cuddling, as usual. Alya called out "Hey, girl, call me!" to her as she and Nino hustled by. Rose and Juleka waved as they left together, hand-in-hand. _Seems like almost everybody's pairing off but me,_ she thought.

"Hey... are you okay, Marinette?" came a familiar voice from behind her, seeing her with her head down. She spun around to see Adrien by her side, a somewhat concerned look on his face.

"Adrien! Hi! I'm... just... going to miss everyone this summer," she murmured. _Some more than others._

"It's not like we're disappearing," Adrien said, comfortingly. "Most of us are staying in town for the summer, so I'm sure we'll see..."

He heard a car horn, and turned and glared at his bodyguard, impatiently waiting for him by the curb. "Agh. He's waiting for me... you have my number, right?"

Marinette nodded, knowing that she could recite it from memory backwards, forwards and in binary if absolutely necessary. _Not that I'm capable of dialing it without having a panic attack..._ "And you have mine, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, I do! Okay, um..." he said, as he half-stumbled down the stairs towards the waiting car. "Keep in touch, okay, Marinette? I'll... see you!" he managed before the bodyguard swept him into the vehicle.

"You too," she said, somewhat sadly. She waved as it pulled away, and imagined that she saw him waving back from the back seat. It was hard to tell for sure, between tinted windows and slightly soggy eyes.

* * *

Marinette walked the short distance home alone, and put a smile back on before entering the bakery on the bottom floor of her home. She kissed her dad on the cheek and hugged her mother, exchanged small talk about her exams and her classmates, then headed up to her room to unwind.

"Are you going to make it, Marinette?" asked Tikki, emerging from her purse. "You seem really down today."

"Yeah," she answered. "It's nothing that I won't get over. Maybe Hawkmoth will give me something to keep me busy tonight."

"You're HOPING for an Akuma attack?" boggled Tikki.

"Not exactly," Marinette replied. "But sometimes I feel like I'm a lot better at being Ladybug than I am at being Marinette. Villains, I can hit. My life, I have to live."

"Hang in there," Tikki soothed. "You'll get the hang of things again soon. I promise."

* * *

Adrien arrived home to his usual greeting from Nathalie and the usual invisibility of his father. He nodded at Nathalie as she ran down his remaining daily activities - Chinese lessons, fencing, piano practice. _Does the phrase 'summer vacation' mean anything around here?_

He headed back to his room and plopped down in front of his computer, idly poking around on the Internet. Marinette's melancholy stuck with him, for some reason, and his thoughts went back to a lunchroom discussion from a couple of days prior. The guys around him were busy going over all of their plans for the break, plus what high school guys' conversations inevitably circle back around to - high school girls.

"You finally going to take Ondine to the movies this week, Kim?" Max asked.

"Definitely. How about you, Nino?" replied Kim.

"Alya and I have seen (that movie) twice now," said Nino. "We're thinking about the zoo again for our six-month anniversary."

Adrien watched Marinette eat her lunch over at her friends' table. She hadn't really seemed like herself lately - normally, she was full of energy, but something seemed to be weighing on her. Nino followed his gaze and grinned, then nudged Max to follow his lead.

"Hey, uh... maybe I ought to invite Marinette to go to the zoo with us. She's half the reason Alya and I are together," he said.

"Maybe find a fourth? Some guy who could spend time with her there? Hold her hand?" replied Max, dutifully.

Kim grinned. "What about you, Adrien? I bet she'd like that."

Adrien seemed lost in thought. "Maybe... Oh! I missed that. What did you guys just say about Marinette?"

"We're just trying to figure out who Marinette might be into," said Nino. "She seems like she could use SOMEONE to spend time with..."

Adrien looked at her again, surrounded by her table full of girl friends, chatting happily and pulling her into the conversation as much as they could. "She does? Hmmm." Then he sank back into thought.

Nino shrugged at Max and Kim, as if to say _Hey, we tried._

Back in the present, Adrien thought to himself, _Maybe I'll drop by her place as Chat Noir tonight, if she's around, and see if I can help her mood any. She's too nice to be feeling so down._

* * *

Marinette stretched out on her balcony after dinner, enjoying the warm evening breeze. She doodled on her sketchpad, made lists of things she wanted to do over the summer - _more time learning baking techniques from Dad, I need to ride my bike more, call Alya tomorrow, there's that book I haven't read yet_ \- and closed her eyes. She listened to the sounds of the city around her: people talking, distant laughter, a dog barking at another dog, *TH-BMMP*, cars zipping by.

 _*TH-BMMP?*_

"Is that you, Chat?", she called out without turning, but with a hint of a smile.

"Do a lot of other people fall out of the sky and land on a pretty girl's balcony?" Chat Noir's voice asked.

"I have no idea about the pretty girls, but you're the only one who lands on mine." Marinette sat up and waved hello. "What brings you by tonight?"

"Nothing special. I was in the neighborhood, so I'm checking on a friend," Chat said. "That would be you. How are you doing?"

"Ehhhh," she said. "Okay, I guess. I've been worse."

"Not sensing the enthusiasm here," drawled Chat. "Something on your mind?"

"Ohhh," said Marinette, slouching a little, "I'm just not much of a summer girl this year. I don't have anything planned, I have nowhere to go, my friends are all busy with their boyfriends, which I certainly have no prospects for because I don't know if I'll even see my... uh..."

"Crush?" Chat asked. Her red cheeks answered for her. "Been there. Still doing that," he grinned.

 _Still sorry about that,_ she thought. "How about you? Anything lined up for the summer?"

"Not really. This cat's on the prowl."

Marinette groaned. "What?" questioned Chat. "That wasn't even a pun."

"It was close enough."

* * *

The "still sorry" was a little bittersweet for Marinette, of course. It reminded her of the first night Chat Noir had visited her this way, many months before.

She still remembered the surprise she felt when she felt the quiet thump behind her on the balcony rail. Of course she'd known that Chat COULD leap like a gazelle and baton-copter out of the sky, seemingly from nowhere, on her private balcony of her parents' house. It hadn't ever really occurred to her that someday he'd have a reason to.

The company was certainly welcome that night, after she'd made a fool of herself at Andre's Ice Cream, and it was a real eye-opener for her from several angles. It wasn't EVERY night that your partner-in-crimefighting told your uncostumed self that he truly loved your alter ego, after all... and it broke her heart to say what she felt she had to say afterwards, as Ladybug. But it also ran deeper than that.

Of all the people in Paris Chat Noir could have gone to for comfort, for company, to help him through his pain... he'd come to her. And then he'd sat his own pain aside to try to ease hers, once he saw that she was heartsick, too.

A tiny part of her always wondered why he'd chosen her that night, in particular. They'd been acquainted before that, were certainly friendly, but hardly bosom buddies. But that night he'd won his own little permanent place in her heart, costumed or not. And it pleased her very much that in the months that followed, once in a while on evenings she looked forward to, her friend kept coming back.

* * *

Chat Noir and Marinette hung out together for another hour or so, simply enjoying each other's company and chatter.

"Well..." yawned Marinette, "I do appreciate you cheering me up, Chat, but I ought to get back inside and get ready for bed. I feel like a lump."

"Best looking lump in town," admired Chat.

"Oh, you. I bet you say that to all the lumps."

"It brought your giggle back, I'll count that as a win."

Marinette gave him a sincere smile. "You are too much, you know that?"

Chat came to a decision. "Maybe... but I know I don't want you feeling sad and lonely this summer. You're too awesome for that. Can I borrow your sketchpad for a second?"

"Huh? ...Sure."

He took it from her outstretched hand, scribbled something on a blank page, and returned it. "My number. Day or night, rain or shine. Any time you need some company, want to get out of here and go somewhere, or you just need a friendly ear, call me or message me."

Marinette looked surprised. "Seriously? This isn't the number for Joe's Bar and Grill, is it?"

"Nope. You're the only person I've ever given this number to," smiled Chat. "And I really mean it. Any time you need me."

"Oooh! A superhero hotline!" she grinned. "Thank you, Chat. That really is sweet of you. I promise I'll call."

"On that note, then..." Chat hopped up on the balcony rail, ready to leap away. "Sweet dr..."

*BZZZZZ* Something on Chat's utility belt buzzed loudly. He turned and saw Marinette with her phone in her hand.

"Just checking."

* * *

When he got home, Chat transformed back to Adrien, which popped Plagg back into the air around him. "That was something new," Plagg said. "What are you up to?"

"Marinette needs a boost. She's too great a person to be lonely this summer. I've got a few ideas to keep her smiling, and maybe even put a little romance in her life."

Plagg gave him a questioning look. "You're serious? I thought you were still hooked on Ladybug."

"Sure am," Adrien explained. "And Marinette's hooked on her Mystery Guy. She'd never take me seriously as Chat, anyway. But she could use at least one guy in her life who knows she's special to help build up her confidence, and maybe Chat can help make that other guy jealous enough to notice her. I'm gonna help her win her Mystery Guy."

 _Bahahahahaha!_ Plagg did his best to hold back gutlaughing, and was only partially successful.

"What?" asked Adrien, with a glare.

"Nothing," Plagg chuckled. "Any reason you're not doing that as Adrien?" _Since that would solve the whole problem in ten seconds?_

"I thought about that," Adrien said. "I know Marinette likes me as Adrien. I don't mean LIKES me likes me..." He tried to ignore the face Plagg was giving that statement. "But when I'm Chat Noir, she's so much more... open, relaxed, comfortable. She sasses the heck out of me. She's so funny! I don't know if it's just me turning on the superhero charm, or what, but... I don't know, Marinette just seems to like me better as Chat than as Adrien."

 _If I didn't just hear that, I wouldn't believe it just came out of his mouth,_ Plagg thought. "And what happened to Mr. 'It's not cool to play with other people's feelings?'", he asked, crossing his tiny arms.

"That's... not it at all, Plagg," replied Adrien, defensively. "I'm not trying to make her fall for CHAT. I don't think that could happen anyway. I do want to spend this summer making her feel desirable, though, and see if that'll help her tell her crush what he needs to hear. He's blind if he can't see how great she is."

Plagg grinned. _You've got a heart as big as all outdoors, kid. But sometimes you couldn't find your own butt with both hands._ _HEY, wait a minute..._

"WAIT! I just thought of something," panicked Plagg. "You just gave her your phone number, right? What happens when she puts that in her contacts and it says 'Already entered as Adrien?'"

"All in the plan," Adrien smiled, holding up a phone unfamiliar to Plagg. "Isn't it nice how cheap prepaid phones are these days?"

Plagg laughed. _I almost have to tell him. Almost. But I have to see how this turns out._

* * *

The next morning, Marinette woke up and stumbled downstairs for breakfast. She was looking forward to a quiet day, helping out in her father's kitchen however she could.

Around lunchtime, she was focused on frosting some pastries when she heard her father call to her. "There's someone at the door for you, Marinette."

 _There is? I thought I told Alya I was working today._ She went to the front door and saw a fairly young boy standing there, his arms behind his back.

"Are you Marinette?" he asked. When she nodded, he handed her a small bouquet of daisies, saying "Someone asked me to deliver these."

She looked down at the flowers with wide eyes, thoroughly surprised. "They did?" The bouquet was simple, but nicely arranged. "Who was it?"

The kid grinned. "He paid me an extra half-Euro not to say," he said, then dashed off.

Her father looked out and saw her standing there, processing what had just happened. "Those are pretty, Marinette. Who are they from?" he called out.

"I have no idea," she mumbled, looking for a card that wasn't there. "These aren't from you or Mom, are they?"

"Not that I know of. Looks like someone has an admirer!" he smiled.

"I do? ...Huh." _Who in the world would send flowers to ME?_ she thought. Her mind fluttered immediately to Adrien, of course, but _Yeah, right_ circled close behind.

 _The last time a guy was interested in me was Nino, and he got redirected over to Alya about ten minutes later, and before that... eep!_ The Nathaniel/Evillustrator incident leapt out at her. _Maaaaybe I'll keep a close eye on this, and have my partner keep watch too..._

Marinette reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone and IMed Chat. "Could you stop by tonight? Something odd happened today..."

* * *

Around six, Chat Noir spun down onto Marinette's balcony. He was a little relieved to see that whatever had happened wasn't enough of an emergency for her to seem flustered.

"Hey, Marinette. I got your message. What's up?" he asked.

"I got a strange delivery this afternoon. Someone sent me flowers without a card or any other clue where they came from."

"That's great, Marinette!" Chat smiled, then noticed that she wasn't so sure. "Isn't it? Maybe your guy that you like finally woke up."

"I doubt it..." she pondered. "I can't imagine that he wouldn't have signed his name. I mean, it WAS nice of whoever sent them, but I have had one secret admirer already who ended up Akumatized and obsessive..."

"OH! Y-yeah." _Completely forgot about that_ , thought Chat. _Very smooth._ "Honestly, I don't see anything like that happening again. I mean, not that you couldn't have admirers! Of course you should. Would. Could."

Marinette gave him a funny look. "Are you okay over there? But yeah, I doubt it's anything serious. Just saying, if you stumble across anything strange involving that..."

"No problem. So what else are you up to tonight?"

"Nothing, really. Spent the rest of my day knee-deep in frosting," she replied.

"Yum!"

"A little less yum when you're working with it and not eating it, but yeah," Marinette smiled. "Want to see? I'll meet you downstairs."

* * *

Marinette climbed down the hatch into her room. Chat leapt down to the sidewalk, entering the ground-floor bakery through the front door. Marinette's father, Tom, brightened visibly at his approach.

"Well, it's Chat Noir! Come on in. What can I do for one of Paris's finest heroes?"

Behind him, he heard his daughter say "I wanted to show him some of the designs I worked on today. Over here, Chat!"

Tom looked on with interest as he watched the teens interact, Chat appearing genuinely interested in Marinette's handiwork, Marinette letting him taste-test a couple of small pieces. Both were full of smiles. _They certainly seem to get along well._

As Chat left, Tom waited until the door shut and commented, "A nice young man, hmmm?"

"Very nice," replied Marinette. "He's actually a very good friend of mine."

"He has good taste in baked goods. And in flowers, I'd say," Tom grinned.

"Oh... no, those daisies weren't from Chat! I mean... I don't THINK they were." Marinette pondered this for a moment, as if she'd never considered that as a possibility. "Anyway, I'll be back, we're going back upstairs to talk some more."

She waved and vanished up the stairs. Tom thought, _BACK upstairs? I think this explains all those *TH-BMMP*s I keep hearing on my roof._

* * *

Marinette made it upstairs quickly, but Chat was already there. _Of course! He took the direct route, straight up._

"You liked them?" she asked.

"Definitely. I've gotten baked goods from your shop out-of-costume before. Always good stuff."

 _Another thing I'd never considered_ , she thought. It seemed strange to think of Chat Noir as a regular guy, out of costume, shopping for cannoli and croissants but of course he was! _Now he's got me wondering what he's like in his normal life._

"Do you... live around here?" Marinette asked, then waved him off. "Never mind! Of course you don't have to answer that."

"I can give up that much. Not all that far away," replied Chat.

"Hmmm. You look like you're about my age. I wonder if you're in my grade! Or even some of my classes," Marinette smiled.

 _One seat in front of you,_ he thought. "It's possible."

"Ohh... make me stop asking things!" Marinette averted her eyes, grinning. "Too much information. I'm going to Twenty Questions you right out of your mask if I'm not careful."

"THAT I can't let you do," Chat grinned. "But I'd trust you with just about anything else."

"All right, then," she said. "When you're... you, what's something you like to do? I'm curious."

"Oh, I don't know, I'm not too complicated." _Outside of my dad making me learn Chinese, piano, fencing, karate and how to dance the waltz, I guess..._ "Video games, for one?"

"Heh. I bet you can't even touch me on Ultimate Mecha Strike III," bragged Marinette.

"Oh-ho! Is that a challenge?"

"You bet. Next time you visit, you'd better have been practicing," she said. "I want at least a little competition before I demolish you."

"Hah," Chat laughed, mockingly. "She threatens me with humiliation and she's sure I'll be back!"

"...Please?"

He saw her face change in an instant, going from a friendly mocking grin to wide, pleading eyes and a sincere smile. Inside, his willpower chipped and cracked.

 _How do girls know how to make that one perfect Please face? Do they get training in that?_

"You call, I'll come running. That was a promise," Chat beamed.

"Sounds good to me, kitty. See you soon?"

"It's a date." Chat blew her a kiss, theatrically, and waved before rooftop-hopping towards home.

Marinette grinned. _A date, huh? Guess it's about time that I had one of those. Even if this one won't really count._

* * *

Her father gave her a warm smile as she reentered the bakery's kitchen. "Expanding your horizons a bit, Marinette?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, puzzled.

"Well, I thought you liked clean-cut boys like that Adrien. And here you bring home a roughneck in black leather!"

"DAAAAAAD! I... he...," she stuttered.

Tom laughed, loudly. "I'm just teasing, Marinette. I know very well that he's a fine young man. You should see your face right now!"

Marinette growled a little, but grinned sheepishly. "How long have you known him?" Tom asked.

"About a year, that I know of." At his questioning expression, she replied, "Well, I might know him when he's not in costume, but I have no way of knowing that, right? I saw him many times fighting Akuma villains with Ladybug, we met during one of those when he was protecting me. He seemed a little goofy at first, you know, all puns and posing?"

Marinette did her best Manly Hero Saving The Day impression, striking a pose, making her father laugh.

"...but I think most of that's just play-acting to fit the role. Real Heroes Talk Like This, right? We've talked a lot, he is really nice and down-to-earth inside, a really great friend! He stops by sometimes to see me when he's on patrol."

"Which explains why I keep hearing a cat on the roof..." mused Tom.

"And that's as far as he goes," Marinette protested, crossing her arms. "The hatch to my room is just for me."

"Oh, I knew that already. You're not blushing," her father laughed. "Plus, I know you better than that. I raised a good girl. She won't learn how to be bad until she's ready for that."

NOW she was blushing. "Even if I was... which I'm NOT... you'd have nothing to worry about. He's head-over-heels for Ladybug."

"Aren't half the young men of Paris?"

Tom wasn't sure what to read from the expression that brought to Marinette's face. Halfway between goggle-eyed astonishment and protest, he judged, and he wasn't sure why.

* * *

Marinette went upstairs with her head spinning. "Can you BELIEVE that Dad just SAID that?" she asked Tikki, incredulously.

"Said what?" Tikki replied. "That lots of young people have a thing for Ladybug?"

"YES!", she nearly screeched. "How? Why? What?"

"Look at it this way," explained Tikki. "Before you wallpapered your room with pictures of a certain blonde hunk, you had the occasional movie star or rock star on your wall, right? The occasional TV star or singer that you were attracted to? You'd never met them, you didn't know what they were really like as a person, but they were larger than life and that caught your eye."

"Yeah, but..." Marinette stammered.

"Ladybug is a symbol like that. You're in the public eye all the time, you're a hero, you're young, you're brave, you're beautiful, _yes you are_ _so stop protesting_ , of course people are going to notice you! You're also a great role model because you DON'T let that go to your head! Imagine if someone like Chloé had become Ladybug."

"Ewwwwww..."

"She'd spend half her time posing for the cameras and the other half throwing herself at Adrien, or whoever else she wanted. You want people to like you for you, not for the costume you wear, which is one of many reasons that you're a perfect Ladybug," reassured Tikki. She thought for a second, then added, "And you gravitate to people who look beyond the surface, too. Look at Chat Noir. He was crushing on you on day one. He _fell_ for you once he got to know you better and really liked who he saw."

Marinette was speechless for a moment. "...But he DOESN'T know the real Ladybug," she said, softly. "He doesn't know who she really is, what she's really like."

"He spent half of today with her. You think he doesn't know you well?"

"But-"

"Of course Chat doesn't know that Marinette is Ladybug. But he knows Marinette, and he _really_ likes her. And he knows Marinette-in-a-red-mask-and-costume, and he _loves her."_

"..."

"Like you said, he play-acts quite a bit as Chat because that's how he thinks a superhero acts. You don't do that as Ladybug; you talk with Chat, you spend time with him, you risk your life next to him all the time. He knows you very well because the Marinette in Ladybug shines through. And you've heard him open up to you as Marinette about how he really feels about Ladybug..."

"Whoa." She looked a bit staggered by that stream of logic. "But when I'm Ladybug, I'm so different from when I'm Marinette!"

"Are you really?" Tikki's gaze was steady.

"Yes! I... aren't I?" Marinette was lost in thought for a moment, her head buzzing. "Well, I _thought_ I would be able to sleep tonight..."

* * *

And she wasn't wrong. A few minutes 'til one and Marinette was still tossing and turning, lying in bed in her pajamas. She'd been blindsided and she had a lot to ponder.

"You are Ladybug, with or without the costume!" _Tikki told me that once,_ she thought, _that time that I saved Chat from Antibug. And there's... some truth to that. Ladybug's powers let me do so much more, but I'm still ME inside the suit._

 _But I'm NOT the same as Ladybug! I'm hiding behind a mask and behind the role I play. I could never do some of the things I do as Ladybug as just plain Marinette._

 _And people certainly treat me differently when I'm transformed. That counts for a lot. Look at Adrien; he gets all goggle-eyed and nervous around Ladybug sometimes, but as me I fly right under his radar. Look at Chloe; she's a huge fan of Ladybug and treats me like dirt when I'm Marinette. Look at Chat Noir..._

A little voice in her head said _Yes, look at Chat Noir_. It sounded like her own, but it seemed a little alien to her normal thought processes.

 _He... really is sincere about Ladybug. I heard that in his voice, clear as day, both that night as Marinette and in how he treats me as Ladybug. I see it in his actions. And I've seen it grow from "Kiss me, bugaboo" every ten minutes to something a bit... deeper. It still hurts that I hurt him that night, though he did his best not to show it. And I haven't been able to share the private Ladybug with him; he's still in the dark about that and he has to stay there._

The contradictions inherent in her dual identity gnawed away at her inner thoughts.

 _But I _am_ sharing the private Ladybug with him every time he comes to see me! Because _I'm_ the private Ladybug, he just doesn't know that! And I know he's not falling in love with ME the way he did with Ladybug. That's just a silly thought._

 _...Right?_

 _No. That's ridiculous. We're really good friends and part of that is _because_ neither of us wants to romance the other! He loves Ladybug, not me. He knows I have my own crush. My "Mystery Guy," he calls him._

 _But..._

Marinette rolled over on her stomach. Sleep was still very far away.

 _Think about how Tikki put it. Chat crushed hard on Ladybug. Then he got to know the sides of Ladybug that are... more like Marinette, and... THEN he fell in love? What does that say about how he feels deep down about my Marinette side?_

 _"My Marinette side." That sounds so strange. As if I'm a different person when I'm Ladybug. But... aren't I? In a lot of ways that count?_

The concept was a bit dizzying.

 _And Chat does come visit me, just to spend time with me. He opens up to me like he doesn't even do with Ladybug._ _The way that I wish that Adrien would._

 _It's not even just our little Lonely Hearts Club, either. Some nights, it's all jokes and teasing and having fun. Some nights, he's serious. We help each other through problems as much as we can. Sometimes we don't even talk much; we just lay back and watch the stars._

 _Chat never talks about visiting anyone else like that. IS he just being friendly?_

 _The... way that Adrien thinks I'm just being friendly with him?_ THAT sent a shiver through her.

 _And from what he said, he's local, and my age. ...Do I know the real him? And if I do, what does HE think of me?_

She rolled over again, with a frustrated grunt.

 _Am I overthinking this way too hard, like I always overthink things? Chat's_ _NEVER_ _made a move on me as Marinette. He flirts, but he flirts with anyone in a blouse. I know he's still hooked on Ladybug. I know what Tikki said, but I'm just not the same person when I'm Ladybug. WHY_ _would I think that he would ever look at Marinette the way he looks at Ladybug?_

The quiet, seemingly alien voice piped up again in her mind, with one more question that she was surprised she couldn't answer right away.

 _And_ _with how I know he feels about me as Ladybug, and how he takes care of me and reaches out to me as Marinette..._

 _...how WOULD I react if he did?_

She pulled the pillow over her head briefly. "Nnnngggh!" _Why can't anything in my life ever be uncomplicated?_

* * *

Across town, Adrien was fast asleep. Plagg hopped up and down on the keyboard of Adrien's computer, idly looking up things to amuse himself. He'd found a couple of cheese delivery services, but Adrien was smart enough to clear his credit card data before logging out, so he was out of luck there.

Not long before, Plagg had asked him, "So how do you think your Cheer Up Marinette project kicked off today?"

"Not bad," Adrien smiled. "Her mood seemed a lot brighter and I think she enjoyed the company. I can't believe I forgot about the Nathaniel thing before sending her those secret admirer flowers, so dock me points for that. But she fed me sweets, she invited me to come back, she seemed more like her normal self! All good signs. I'm debating what I want to do next, but I've got a handful of ideas that I think she'll like."

He leaned back on his pillow and closed his eyes. "Yep, Plagg, I think this is all going to come together. I don't know if I can get Marinette into her crush's arms or not, but at the very least I want to make sure she's happy and relaxed this summer."

 _You go ahead and sleep the sleep of the just,_ thought Plagg, watching Adrien snore quietly. _Just so freakin' oblivious._


	2. Not-So-Flawless Victory

The Marinette Project: Chapter 2: Not-So-Flawless Victory

* * *

Sabine Cheng noticed that her daughter looked quite tired at breakfast. "One day of summer vacation and you're worn out already, Marinette?" she asked. "Your father must've really put you to work yesterday!"

She smiled back at her mother. "No, that was actually fun. He's got me lined up to try soufflés today; that'll be more of a challenge, but I'm looking forward to it."

"She's a natural," said a father-shaped figure busy rummaging in the refrigerator. "If she wasn't so good with those sketching pens of hers, I'd have her take over for me in a month."

"I have two great teachers," Marinette said. "And you're kidding, right? You've _forgotten_ more things about baking than I've learned so far. I'm getting pretty good, but I have a long way to go."

"And THAT," Tom said, his eyes dancing, "is what makes you a natural, Marinette. Anyone can learn a few things. The good ones want to KEEP learning."

She accepted his compliment gratefully. He added, "AND you also come by it naturally. Excellent genetics."

"Uh-huh," quipped Sabine. "She got it all from her mother's side."

"Of course!" Tom agreed. He leaned over Marinette and semi-whispered "Whatever else could she think that I'd meant?", getting a round of laughter.

"So what's with the sleepy eyes, then?" Sabine inquired.

"Maybe she was out all night looking for a stray cat," chuckled Tom.

Sabine narrowed her eyes and flicked a tiny bit of butter at him from across the table, while Marinette said "I'm IGNORING that..." with a grin. "It's nothing, Mom. I just had some things on my mind about the summer, my friends... Nothing I can't handle."

"Good. Let us know if we can help with anything, dear." Sabine sipped her coffee. She added, "Those were pretty daisies yesterday, by the way. Did you ever find out who they were from?"

"Not a clue," Marinette shrugged. "I'll talk to Alya later, and see if anyone's said anything to her. She runs the gossip switchboard around here."

* * *

Marinette went back upstairs and got ready for her day. She had emerged from last night's cloud of soul-searching mostly intact, but there were a few things still nagging at her.

Her mom's question, for one. Did she have an actual Secret Admirer? If she did, she wasn't quite sure how to feel about that. _A lot of young people feel like those are terribly romantic_ , she thought, _and they are... as long as it turns out to be someone you'd want it to be_. But one step at a time on that, she figured; wait and see what happens next or who says what.

Tikki's line of reasoning, though, was another matter; it had really gotten her mind whirling. Where, exactly, _does_ Marinette stop and Ladybug begin? Was it really as simple as donning and doffing her magical costume?

In a lot of ways, of course it was. The whole point of the mask and suit was so she _couldn't_ be recognized as Marinette. Her voice was the same, which gave her a bit of a start - _why DOESN'T Chat Noir recognize that when I talk to him?_ , she wondered. Tikki had hinted that there was a faint magic in action blurring perceptions of such things, but had never gone into the details. If people watched and heard Ladybug and thought "Hey, that's Marinette," she'd have a lot more problems than her love life. And she had tons of evidence that people treated the two of them quite differently, including people who knew both of them.

So, on the surface, her secret was safe. That much was right with the world. And, most of the time, she wasn't out there as Ladybug to be a socialite. She transformed, got the job done, beat the villain, purified the Akuma, and bugged out without a lot of extra chit-chat. So "Ladybug's personality" was another part of her where the surface was as far as most people got to see. And that was fine, too; it was another way to keep her identity safe, and she certainly wasn't in it for the cameras or the accolades.

But Tikki knew her dual nature better than anyone else in the world, being in a unique position to watch over her in both selves. And Tikki was CONVINCED that her two selves were closer than even she suspected. Now what was she supposed to think about that?

 _Do I _think_ differently as Ladybug?_ she wondered. _I mean, a lot of time I'm doing more acting than thinking because I have the powers then. I don't plan out "oh, I'll yo-yo this and then swing there and then do this and that" on my sketchpad, most of the time; I trust my own abilities and I just DO it. When I come up with a battle plan for Chat and I to beat a supervillain, I can just go with the flow while we're executing it. And if I'm, well, braver in the face of danger as Ladybug, it's because I know I can't really be physically hurt as Ladybug. Well, I HOPE I can't. But I can sure dodge a flying car or take a punch better spotsed-up._

 _"Braver." Am I? Look at me with Adrien. I can barely talk to him face-to-face even when I'm suited up. I can go toe-to-toe with villains that want to eat the Eiffel Tower, but I can't ask Adrien for a date or for a kiss even when I can see so clearly that he likes me so much better in costume._

 _I'm still the girl inside the suit. I'm still driving the bus, so to speak. I'm making the decisions, I'm responsible for Ladybug's actions. Is Ladybug... really just what Marinette is like when I don't have the time or the need to overthink things?_

The more she thought about it, it was going to be really hard to get a second opinion. Lots of people knew Marinette well. Some knew Ladybug pretty well. But how many really knew both beyond the surface? There was Tikki, there was Master Fu... and then Chat Noir. But then she was right back to what had kept her up half the night.

 _What DOES Chat Noir see when he looks at Ladybug? How much of the real me am I letting leak through the mask? Is he really just seeing spots?_

And she thought, _I might just_ _have a sneaky way of finding some of that out_.

She'd leave _What do I _want_ him to see?_ for another day. And maybe for a well-paid psychiatrist.

* * *

Adrien concentrated on his piano, trying to nail a particularly difficult Rachmaninoff prelude to what he knew would be his father's exacting standards. At the moment, the prelude was winning.

His fingers flowed over the keys, his eyes narrowed with effort... and his secondary cell phone beeped out a message alert, throwing him off slightly. Ah, well; it was still a very good effort, and this was one of his favorite distractions after all.

He checked the instant message. "Whatcha doing, kitty?"

"Practicing," he sent back.

"Won't help. My Ultimate Mecha Strike III technique is unstoppable :p", she replied.

"Famous last words. When do you want to be humbled?"

"Some afternoon this week?" she suggested. "Whatever fits your schedule. I know you've said you get pretty tied up in your private life."

"Tomorrow at three sounds perfect," Adrien typed. "Your place or mine?"

"Hah! Like I'd ever get directions to the Catcave. I'll meet you at the bakery."

Adrien grinned. _Famous last words, indeed. I know from experience that she's fantastic at that game. But the last time I tried to beat her, I played fair..._

He pocketed his Marinette hotline phone, so as not to raise questions should someone come in. His regular cell phone sat atop the piano, silently.

* * *

Marinette looked down at her own phone. There'd been a couple of messages from friends since school had ended, but the person she had been hoping to hear from most hadn't pinged her yet.

She opened up a text message window for Adrien's number, then contemplated it for a moment.

 _Thinking of you,_ she typed, then erased it.

 _I miss you,_ she typed, then erased it.

 _Hey sweetie! I was wondering if we,_ she typed, then erased it.

 _I really miss you,_ she typed, then erased it.

 _Call me_ _!_ , she typed, then erased it.

 _I've been in love with you since the second day we met, Adrien,_ she typed, then stared at it. Then stared at it. Then stared at it.

Then erased it.

Marinette closed her phone and sighed.

One of Alya's jokes came to mind, that if Marinette's phone had physical keys, she'd have to replace her Backspace key once a week.

* * *

The next day, Marinette did some baking with her father in the morning, then let her mother know that she was expecting some company that afternoon.

"Chat Noir's coming?" Sabine smiled. "What's the occasion?"

"Nothing special, Mom. Just a friendly visit. Apparently he thinks that he's a match for me at videogames. I must PROVE HIM WRONG."

"Don't hurt him too badly, dear. Boys can have fragile egos," laughed her mother.

Around three, there was a knock at the front door, which Sabine answered. A polite young man in cat ears replied, "Hello, Mrs. Cheng. Is Marinette at home?"

"She's upstairs in her room. I'll walk you up." She led the hero to Marinette's room like a waiter leading a fly to the spider's restaurant table. She saw that Marinette had a table set up with sodas and snacks; evidently, this was to be no quick and painless gaming execution.

"Good luck, young man," she grinned as she left them to it.

* * *

To Chat's surprise, while Marinette racked up a reasonable lead in matches won, things were much more even than when last they'd practiced together for that UMS3 tournament. _I must be getting better at this game,_ he thought.

 _Can't let him think that he doesn't stand a chance,_ Marinette thought, with an evil grin. _Not too hard to slip up intentionally here and there, keeping it pretty even..._

* * *

Tom walked into the kitchen for a drink, pecking Sabine on the cheek as he walked by her. "Where's Marinette at?" he asked.

"Up in her room, with her kitten," Sabine grinned.

"Ah, good." He paused. "We're right not to worry, aren't we?"

"Let me put it this way - she left her bedroom door wide open."

Tom pondered this, with a smile. "Yeah. No worries there."

Sabine added, "I did have an idea..."

* * *

Around quarter-to-five, Sabine came up to check on the gamers. Both were concentrating hard on the chaos on the screen, little of which made sense to Sabine's eyes but she was of a very different generation regarding entertainment.

"Oh, hi, Mom!" Marinette said, coming up for air.

"Hello, kids. I was wondering if your friend would like to stay and join us for dinner tonight?"

Both looked pleasantly surprised. "I... sure, I would like that very much, Mrs. Cheng! Thank you!" Chat replied.

"I'll go set an extra place at the table. Should be ready in about 45 minutes," Sabine said, heading back downstairs.

"Wow," Marinette marveled. "They DO like you."

"Yeah..." Chat said, quietly. Then he grinned and added "Doesn't everyone, though?"

"Pfft," she laughed. "You're a boy in black leather who's been alone with their baby girl for hours. I wasn't expecting a shotgun, but THAT'S a really good sign."

"What are you... we having tonight?" asked Chat.

"Well, take a guess," Marinette smiled. "My father is very, very French. My mother is of Chinese descent. What do you think they'd make?"

Chat gave it some thought. "French-Asian fusion cuisine, hmmm? Maybe... tuna niçoise? Um..."

"It's taco night, silly."

* * *

Chat Noir and Marinette came down to the dining room when called, both still grinning a bit at the unexpectedness of the situation. Chat pulled Marinette's chair out for her, which made Marinette register slight surprise but got a warm smile from her father. _A boy with manners!_ _They still exist!_

"So... heh. What name do you prefer?" began Tom, reaching across and offering the kids first crack at the tortillas.

"Just 'Chat' is fine. That's what most people call me," he said, deferring to Marinette for first dibs.

"Good. Glad you could join us, Chat! I have to say that my wife and I are definitely fans of yours and Ladybug's. We're cheering you on whenever you're on the news."

Sabine added, "You've been here with us at least once before, right? The day when all the zoo animals were running loose."

"That's right, ma'am, when Animan was Akumatized. Though I'm glad that this is a much more relaxed visit... And I have been visiting Marinette for a while now, when the weather is nice, I'm out on patrol and she's out on her balcony."

"So that's what those noises on the roof were!" scowled Tom, grinning quickly when he saw Chat Noir visibly gulp. Tom was, after all, a rather large man. "I'm kidding, Chat. Marinette's told us all about your visits and how happy she always is to see you."

Marinette tried to send her dad a message via telepathy. _He's not my boyfriend, you don't have to give him the full Scary Dad treatment!_ He read enough of that from her facial expression to give her a reassuring smile back.

"How long have you two known each other?" Sabine asked, warmly. "Cheese?"

"Thank you," Marinette answered, reaching for the bowl. "Almost a year now, isn't it, Chat?"

"Somewhere around a year. For some reason, Marinette's school is like a magnet for Akuma attacks. We met one time while I was protecting students there, we got to talking and it turned out we hit it off very well," Chat replied. "She's been a wonderful friend of mine."

"Good to hear it. I know she speaks highly of you, too," said Tom, making Marinette blush a bit. _Stop it!_

"Do you know Ladybug as well, Marinette?" asked Sabine.

Chat's head turned as well. _Actually... do you?_ Marinette could almost hear him thinking.

* * *

"Uh.. we've met, a few times! We're not as close as Chat and I are, but she's really nice," Marinette improvised.

"If you get the chance, Chat, and she's able, bring her with you sometime! I'm really a big fan, I'd love to meet her," Sabine smiled.

"I'll ask her sometime when I see her," he replied. "I think she'd like that." Marinette's brain screamed a little.

"I'd like to meet her, too. She seems like a fine young lady," said Tom.

"Best partner I could ever ask for," beamed Chat.

"You and Ladybug aren't, uh..." Tom asked. Marinette's brain screamed a lot more.

"Dating? No, sir. I'll confess that I've wanted that at times... but we keep our partnership professional, and it's for the best all around." Chat said, evenly.

This seemed to satisfy Tom, who started filling another taco shell. Sabine asked, "If I may ask... and I don't mean to pry, especially since I know you keep your identity secret..."

"Don't worry," he replied. "If I can't answer it, I'll say so, but I'm an old hand at this by now. You wouldn't believe some questions I get asked."

"Do your parents know that you're a superhero?"

* * *

Chat's smile faded slightly, but only slightly. "My... parents do not, actually. I'm in a single-parent home, which is a long story in and of itself. My father is supportive of me in a lot of ways, but isn't aware of... this."

Chat paused, looking for the right words. "It's difficult. Some days I really do want to tell him, but I'm afraid of how much he would worry, or if knowing who else I am would put him in danger. It's like how there are other people I wish I could unmask for..." He turned and gave Marinette a sad smile, which made her eyes go wide. "...but I would NEVER put her or her family and friends at risk."

Sabine also paused, looking thoughtful. "That's a very mature answer, Chat. I'm glad that you've taken the time to think out those kinds of things." She gave him a warm smile.

Chat smiled back, then looked surprised for a moment. He turned to Marinette, whose hand had reached under the table and given his a light squeeze. _Hang in there, Chat,_ she thought.

"It's necessary. It's a strange way of living sometimes. Not necessarily something I would've chosen, but I'm glad it happened," he managed.

"Again, you don't have to answer, but I must admit that I'm very curious," Tom asked. "How DID you get your powers? Your... Miraculous, I think it's called?"

"I... can't say a lot of it, I'm sure you'll understand," hesitated Chat. "I can say that I was chosen for it by someone, and it was a complete surprise to me when it happened. I think Ladybug's happened much the same way, but even she and I have some secrets from each other."

"Whoever it was, they chose very well. For both of you," Sabine said, with a seconding smile from Tom.

* * *

Dinner continued until everyone was stuffed. Chat asked his share of questions about Marinette, her parents and the bakery, mentioning as he had to Marinette that he'd shopped there several times in his normal identity. Marinette grinned at that, figuring that saying that brought him up at least three notches in her father's esteem.

They cleared the table, and Marinette and Chat tackled the dishes together.

"I'm so sorry you had to answer all those questions!" Marinette whispered, washing out one of the bowls.

"It's fine," Chat reassured her. "Nothing I was uncomfortable answering. And dinner was delicious."

"Good. I was kind of hoping you liked Mexican..." she grinned. "We didn't exactly get a menu to choose from."

"Love it," he smiled back. He then got a funny look on his face. "Do your parents think that we're, um..."

"Dating?" Marinette gulped. "I've... never said that we were, or made them think that, as far as I know. Though you ARE the first boy I've ever brought home for dinner, even if I didn't know I was doing that when I invited you."

"My goodness..." Chat faked a swoon. "Her first gentleman caller!"

That got him a splash of water and a whispered "You goober" from Marinette.

* * *

Once done, Marinette said, "Are you up for a few more rounds of Mecha Strike, Chat?"

"You're on," he said, and she led him back upstairs.

Tom waited until the two were out of hearing range. "So... what do you think?"

Sabine was beaming. "Oh, that boy is adorable."

"I think I lose father points for saying so about my daughter's first boyfriend, but I agree," he grinned.

"Boyfriend? I don't think so. Not yet," Sabine cautioned. "They're close, but they're not... you know. Don't say anything about that to her."

"You don't think so? They seem awfully happy to be with each other," Tom said.

"I'll give you three reasons why not. One, I'm her mother, I would know. Two, do you see how comfortable she is around him? That other boy, Adrien? When she thought about him she could barely speak. And three," she whispered, craning her head to look up the stairwell, "...she still left her bedroom door open."

* * *

Marinette fired up her game console again and got ready. _I actually feel bad about what I'm about to do to you, Chat Noir,_ she thought. _You were such a gentleman tonight, you charmed the socks off my parents, you answered all those personal questions, all above and beyond the call of duty. But I need a few answers and you're about to give them up, and you don't stand a chance._

"Chat, thank you so much for being such a sweetheart tonight. You didn't have to answer all those questions from my parents, but you did... so I'm going to give you a chance to turn the tables. But you've got to earn it," she cooed. "IF... you think you can beat me..."

 _Oh-ho! New stakes! She's awfully cocky all of a sudden..._ "What do you propose," Chat asked.

"If you're up for it... whoever wins a game gets to ask a question. The other answers. The usual can't-blow-secret-identity rules apply, but other than that, anything goes." She gave him a dangerous smile. "Feel lucky tonight, Chat Noir?"

 _This may be one of the dumbest things I've ever done,_ Chat thought. _But I think I'm figuring out how she plays, and where that challenge came from. I won almost as much as I lost tonight. I may not win them all, but I might win enough to make this worth it..._

"Let's do this," Chat said, gripping his controller.

* * *

The first game went back-and-forth. First Marinette had the advantage, then Chat. Both players ended up with a sliver of life left, guarding on opposite sides of the screen, taunting each other into approaching. Marinette's character lunged forwards, only to dance away without attacking, just out of reach of Chat's counterattack. She then used that window of opportunity to blast Chat's character into next week.

"Gotcha!" Marinette looked very pleased with herself.

"All right, you got me. Go ahead. What do you want to know first?" asked Chat.

 _Hmmm._ _I'll start slow._

"This one is up to you; if you can't answer it, I'll ask something else. Secret identity rules, I know. But it's been bugging me since we talked the other day..." Marinette gave Chat an intense look.

"Chat, do you go to my school?"

Chat turned a little green. _Is that too much of a giveaway?_ He thought hard for a moment...

* * *

"Yes. I do."

"YES! I knew it," giggled Marinette. "That helps explain why our school is such a magnet for Akumas! There's a superhero in it somewhere!"

"And Chloé Bourgeois. That's about a dozen Akumas waiting to happen right there," Chat laughed.

"True enough. Okay, that's as far as I'll intrude on your identity. Next game?"

"Oh, you think you're going to get to ask more questions? Bring it."

* * *

The next round was also close. The two were getting more comfortable with each other's favorite strategies, and they were harder to fake out.

Chat fired off a super combo, which almost knocked Marinette's character out but not quite. Her counterblow was mistimed slightly, however, which left her open for a quick kick that finished her off.

 _I'll give up one to keep him playing,_ she thought. _Bet he couldn't tell that I threw that one._

"Hmmm. So many things I could ask..." pondered Chat, with a big smile.

"Go AHEAD, already!" she grinned, nervously. _Nothing TOO embarrassing, please..._

Chat leaned forward, slowly. "Does your CRUSH... go to OUR school?"

 _Gulp..._

* * *

"Of course he does."

 _That makes a lot of sense. But now MY mind has lots of possibilities floating in it..._ Chat thought.

Marinette was silent, burning inside. _It's not like my crush on Adrien is a secret among the GIRLS. Probably among most of the guys, too. Maybe it's written all over my face every time I walk through the door. But it's still not something I was ready to hint at out loud._

"So... one more? If you feel lucky tonight, Marinette?" Chat smiled.

Her smile came back, but it was a dark and determined smile. _I would not ask such things if I were you_.

* * *

"FLAWLESS VICTORY!"

This time Marinette swept through Chat's character like a scythe through wheat. _Wow, I must've really touched a nerve!_ thought Chat.

"Fair enough. Fire away, Marinette."

 _Let's try a big one this time._

"You remember the first night you visited me here, I'm sure. That night when you had your romantic surprise for Ladybug, and she didn't show up, and you brought me to see it?" she asked him.

"Of course. I doubt that's a night I will ever forget."

"When you had a whole city of people to choose from... you came to visit me. I've always wondered. ...Why me?" Marinette asked in a softer voice.

* * *

 _I can't say "because you're my best friend" without blowing my identity,_ Chat thought. _But I can't not answer this either._

He took a deep breath.

"Marinette, I'd only met you in costume a few times before that. But even from those few times, I could tell that you were someone very honest, very trustworthy. Someone with a big heart. Someone who wouldn't hurt me more than I already was. Someone sweet and caring. You were everything that I needed to be with that night."

 _Ohhhh,_ she thought. _Wow._

"Really? I mean... I'm really glad you thought so..."

"Still do, obviously," Chat smiled.

"But we had only met a couple of times then, hadn't we? How could you know that I..." she trailed off.

A phrase flickered through her mind. _"...in costume..."_

Marinette froze in mid-thought.

"...We know each other, don't we?"

* * *

Chat went very quiet. When he answered, it was just above a whisper.

"That's another question. You'll have to beat me again for that answer."

In response, Marinette's thumb lunged for the Start button.

* * *

This time was back to being a close fight. Chat's character had a large health advantage, landing some hard combos early. Marinette came back with a flurry of light shots, an artful dodge, and a follow-up that stunned Chat's character. He recovered a fraction of a second too late to block her next blow, and his character went flying, down for the count.

 _Okay. I didn't have to say "one more." But I did,_ Chat thought.

He opened his mouth to answer, only for Marinette to say "Wait."

* * *

"I'll bet that answering that... would be way too much of a giveaway. So I'm taking that question back," she said, quietly.

Chat gave her a slight nod that could have been confirmation, or could have been just simple acknowledgment of her statement.

"Instead, I'm going to ask something else..."

 _...that I shouldn't ask. But I really have to know this._

"You told me that you were crushing on Ladybug... then your feelings grew a lot deeper. You fell for her, hard."

Chat was silent.

"What made that happen? What did she do?"

* * *

Chat stared at Marinette for a moment. "You really want to know that, Marinette?"

She looked down, shyly. "I really do."

* * *

"When I first met Ladybug," Chat began, "that first adventure when Ivan became Stoneheart and I first got my powers, at first I wasn't knocked over. I mean, she was REALLY cute," he said, and she tried her hardest not to blush and give herself away.

"But she was nervous, she was scared, I kind of thought I would end up hand-holding her through the whole thing. But then she said to herself, 'I can do this,' and she threw herself into it, and that was the last time I doubted her, ever again. She just blew me away. She was so brave, she was so talented, she was fearless... no, that wasn't it. She was afraid, but she overcame it, because she had to. She saved the city, she made up our plans on the fly, she saved Mylène and captured the Akuma at the same time, she was a little red hurricane and I could just barely hold on for the ride of my life."

He looked into Marinette's eyes, which were growing by the moment. "And that was how it STARTED. That was the crush."

"And I got to know her, slowly, acting all macho and heroic and GRAR! because that's the hero stereotype, right? Gotta have flash and style and a sly quip for every situation. And I didn't know much better than to act like that because I... well, I can't really say why. That'd give too much away."

She nodded, silently.

"But I got to know Ladybug much better, a little at a time. She put up with my puns and my acting, and over a long time, I realized something... she's not play-acting. She's real."

"She may be the most selfless, caring, giving person I've ever met. She'd break her own arm to spare someone else a sprained ankle. She throws herself into any risk to help innocents. To help ME. If she fails anyone, even a little, she agonizes over it. She catches me any time I'm falling, she picks me up whenever I'm down or doubt myself. She is so smart, so creative."

"She's my inspiration for why I keep putting on this mask. Because I don't know her name underneath, but I know HER, because she puts all of herself out there, and she amazes me every time. Every time."

* * *

He looked up. A tear was running down Marinette's right cheek.

"Marinette?"

She sniffled, wiping the tear away. "That... may be... the most beautiful thing I have ever heard," she breathed.

"You asked," he smiled.

 _Tikki was right. Every single word,_ Marinette thought. _And I have no idea what to do._

"Do you want to stop now?" Chat asked, a concerned look on his face.

"No, I'm fine," she smiled. "Let's do one more."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah. One more."

* * *

Chat grinned to himself. _All right, time to get her back in a good mood. Win if you can, lose if you must... but always cheat._

The round started, and Chat reached his hand out and put it in front of Marinette's eyes. "I'm not touching youuuuu..." he taunted.

"HEY! No fair!" she yelled, swatting his hand away. Once she could see again, she hit his character with a solid shot and then leaned over and blew a raspberry in his ear. "Thbbbbbpt!"

"No fair, yourself!"

"I wasn't touching youuuuuuuuu!" she giggled.

"Then why is my ear wet?" Chat laughed, performing a countermove.

He poked at her with a finger, trying to get her in the ribs gently. She squealed, then reached out to try to tickle wherever she could reach. They both dropped the controllers, giggling like crazy. He got a tickling finger up around her armpit; she shrieked a little louder than she'd intended, lost her balance and her chair tipped over. Chat dove out of his seat to try to catch her, and they both ended up on the floor, Chat on top of her, holding his weight off of her, face to face.

They caught their breath, quickly, still giggling, then both faces turned serious together in a heartbeat.

* * *

Downstairs, Tom heard Marinette's shriek, then a gentle crash. He looked at Sabine with a raised eyebrow, as if to ask, _Should I?_

She waved him off. "You were young once, you know," she said, smiling.

* * *

Chat and Marinette stared at each other for several seconds, her hand resting on his back, his holding him up so as not to squash her, their faces mere inches apart.

"...I think you won this one," Marinette whispered.

Slowly, deliberately, Chat got back to his knees and reached his hand out to her, helping her up. They saw that the round's timer had run out, and "CHAT WINS" flashed on the screen, his character having more health remaining.

They got back onto their chairs, both with adrenaline still pumping. "What would you like to ask?" said Marinette, her face flushed.

 _What I want to ask... more than anything... is why you wanted to know that so badly, Marinette. But I don't know if I dare._

* * *

"Ah... I don't think that round counts. We both cheated," Chat said with a disarming smile. "But I'll make you a challenge of my own. I do need to get home soon, so I think there's time for one last round. Different stakes."

 _I've been playing her game all night. It's time to change the rules and see what she does._

"Like what?"

"One more round. Winner take all. No cheating, I promise," he grinned. "If you win, I will answer anything in the world you want to know. Up to and including... unmasking, right here, right now, if you want that. The biggest secret I've got."

Marinette gasped audibly.

"But if I win... we end tonight with a goodnight kiss," he continued.

"...What?"

"You heard me, Marinette," Chat said, smiling wickedly. "I know a sucker bet when I've been pulled into one. I saw that tournament you were in, I know how much better than me you are at this game. I bet you've thrown me a couple of these games. But you wouldn't have done that if you didn't have things you really wanted to know, so I'm still playing. But if I'm taking a huge risk, so are you."

He picked up his controller. "Do you feel lucky, Marinette Dupain-Cheng? Really lucky?"

* * *

Marinette pushed the Start button.

* * *

Both players seemed hesitant this round. Reluctant to take any chances, trying not to lose... perhaps trying to figure out how not to win.

Fingers moved on game controllers, going through the motions. Characters threw out attacks, more haphazardly than the crisp combos from before. Some hit, some missed. Some did minor damage, some hit hard. And when the smoke had cleared and one had fallen...

"CHAT WINS" flashed on the screen.

* * *

"I... I..." Marinette dropped the controller, stunned.

 _Did I lose because I didn't want to know Chat's secret? Or because I... wanted to..._

Marinette looked at Chat, gulped audibly, then closed her eyes. He touched her face, gently, and she opened her eyes again.

"It's not goodnight yet, is it?" he asked.

* * *

The two went back downstairs and sat with Marinette's parents for a little while. "I... slipped and fell, but I'm okay" wasn't much of an explanation for the squeal and crash they'd heard, but her parents chose to accept it lest they learn what actually caused it.

After a little much-needed cooldown time watching some TV and swapping stories with Marinette's parents, Chat said, "Marinette, I do have to get going. I'm sure my dad has been burning up my phone wondering how afternoon gaming rolled into the evening, but he'll understand. I had a wonderful time today, and Mr. Dupain and Mrs. Cheng, my compliments to the chefs."

"Come back any time," Tom said, warmly. "We'd love to see you again." He put his arm around Sabine, who waved and said "Goodnight, Chat!" as Marinette and Chat went out the front door together.

* * *

Marinette and Chat walked a short distance away, trying to get just out of the range of parental radar without being too obvious about it.

"Can I just say that today turned out just a bit different than I expected?" asked Chat.

"Than YOU expected?" exclaimed Marinette, both laughing.

"But I wouldn't change any of it," said Chat. "I really did enjoy all of today, and I hope you did too."

"I did, very much," Marinette said, glowing a little. "But... I still owe you something, Chat."

Marinette closed her eyes, her mind on full autopilot now. She knew what was about to happen but controlling any of it was out of her hands. _One goodnight kiss, coming up. My first real kiss. Be gentle, Chat._ She tilted her face towards where she knew Chat's was, and inched forwards very, very slowly.

She felt Chat take her hand, raise it gently to his lips, and place the gentlest kiss imaginable on the back of it.

Her eyes flew open, her body frozen in place.

She saw Chat lower her hand back to her side, heard him say "Good night, sweet Marinette," and watched him disappear into the early evening sky.

About ten minutes later, she was able to move her legs again.

* * *

Marinette vaguely remembered walking back into her house. She remembered responding "Uh-huh!" to most of her mother and father's questions as she went back upstairs, starry-eyed.

She remembered getting into bed. She didn't remember how she changed into her pajamas, or if she'd brushed her teeth, or if there was anything else in her usual nighttime regimen she'd forgotten. She didn't remember if she'd talked to Alya or not today.

She heard Tikki talking to her, gently, but couldn't make out most of what she was saying. Tikki would be there in the morning. Tikki would always be there for her in the morning. Normal operation of her mind, hopefully, would also be there for her in the morning.

Right now her brain was stuck in an instant replay loop. About half an hour's worth of highlight reels. That was good enough for now.

* * *

Tom and Sabine waited a while longer to make sure that Marinette wasn't coming back down, then headed for bed themselves.

"Told you," Tom said. "That girl's in love."

Sabine raised an eyebrow. "I'm... not QUITE sure of that yet. I think something just happened that pulled her towards that, but there are a lot of rungs on that ladder."

She smiled. "But if she's NOT in love with that boy... I don't think she knows why."

* * *

Next time:

Yesterday, Chat Noir knew how he wanted to help Marinette finally land her crush. And that Marinette would never take him seriously as Chat. And that the last thing he wanted was for Marinette to fall for him as Chat Noir.

Yesterday, Marinette knew how she could get Chat to tell her certain truths. And that those truths would help her make sense of her world. And that she knew precisely who and what it is she wanted most.

That was yesterday.

Beware of what you wish for.

What will tomorrow bring?


	3. The Day After The Night Before

The Marinette Project, Chapter 3: The Day After The Night Before

* * *

SNAP!

That was the sound that Marinette's mind had made on a certain rainy afternoon, standing on the front steps of her school.

It was the sound that rang in her ears when a young man apologized to her, reached his umbrella out to her in the rain, and showed her the most perfect smile and the deepest green eyes she had ever seen in her life.

A bubble of youthful innocence that she didn't even realize was there, which had long protected her from complicated feelings and romantic entanglements... it was the sound of that bubble shattering around her from just one act of kindness and one sweet face. And he hadn't even been trying.

It was the sound she heard just before she was swept away by an avalanche of emotions, for which she discovered she was in no way prepared.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng had heard echoes of that sound every time she saw Adrien after that, every time she heard his voice, every time she walked by a poster with his face on it, every time he said her name, every time she imagined him saying the words that she longed to hear.

But she hadn't heard that same sound at full volume since.

Until last night.

* * *

Around eight in the morning, Tikki rubbed her eyes and floated over to Marinette, who was lying wide-eyed in her bed.

"Hey! I guess you can hear me now," soothed Tikki. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

"I don't know," said Marinette, very quietly.

"Are you all right?" asked Tikki. "Do you want to talk things out? You know I'd never tell another soul."

"...Yes," she managed. " _Please_ help me, Tikki."

 _Wow,_ thought Tikki. _Marinette is REALLY freaked out._

"Nothing... really bad happened last night, right? I mean, I was right there for almost all of it, Chat Noir seemed like a perfect gentleman..."

"He really was," Marinette agreed. "And he gave me the answers that I needed to hear from him. And now I have nothing but questions."

"Let's go slow. Walk me through it, Marinette. Tell me what you were feeling."

"Okay..." Marinette sat up into a cross-legged position, took a few deep breaths, and began.

"Everything was SO great until after dinner. I was a little surprised that Mom invited Chat to stay, but that was wonderful that she did! He seemed to enjoy it a lot, my parents got to know him better, it all felt really natural. As natural as bringing home a boy wearing a mask can be, anyway."

She sighed. "Then I had to go and do what I did."

* * *

Over at Adrien's house, Plagg circled around, trying to make sense of what he'd seen the night before while Adrien slept.

 _For a kid who doesn't always get what's going on in social situations,_ Plagg thought, _he handled last night like a champ. That girl laid a gentle trap for him, and he saw it and he played it just right. He let her guide him where she wanted him, told her what she wanted to hear but she couldn't just ask him, then called her bluff and let her down real easy when that made her shaky._

 _Complete master class at giving a girl what she wanted AND leaving her wanting more._

Plagg grinned. _And I wonder if he knows that he did that..._

* * *

"I wouldn't have turned asking those things into a game myself..." Tikki began.

"How long have you known me, Tikki?" asked Marinette.

"About a year?"

"And in all that time, how often have you seen me even a little bit capable of just asking a boy romantic questions?"

This got a knowing chuckle. "Okay, that's true. But he agreed to it, and you did play fair, right?" asked Tikki.

"Kind of. I mean, I didn't cheat, I even let him win sometimes to keep him playing. It wasn't my MOST dishonest thing ever," Marinette said, a little sheepishly. "But I REALLY needed him to answer those questions for me. And he soooo got me back for it."

She looked at Tikki with soulful eyes. "You were absolutely right, Tikki. I don't know how, but you were right. Chat Noir really DID fall for the girl behind Ladybug's mask. I thought I was hiding... myself... as Ladybug, but he saw right through me. What he said about me... and then those wonderful things he said about why he loves... Ladybug..."

Marinette's eyes welled up, and she started to cry softly. Tikki let her ride it out for a minute.

* * *

"Does it really surprise you that Chat cares very deeply for you? As Ladybug AND as Marinette? It's always been obvious to me," said Tikki, as gently as she could.

"I know. I know. But no boy's _ever_ said anything like that about ME. Transformed or not. I knew Chat's feelings were real, I didn't know they were... THAT real. It blew my mind to hear it out loud like that. Just so pure and honest..."

A few more quiet sobs escaped her.

She took a deep breath. "And he's in my school, and we know each other out of costume. I didn't force him to say that out loud, but I know it's true just from how he reacted. So now there's, like, a double handful of people he could be."

Tikki looked worried. "He didn't say for sure that he is..."

Marinette gave her an intense stare. "You know who he is," she said in a low voice. "I know you do. I won't ask you to name him. But DO we know each other well?"

It was Tikki's turn to fall silent.

"Like I said," smiled Marinette. "And now THAT'LL be on my mind because there are only so many possibilities. I should NOT have asked that."

She took another deep breath. "...And then there was that KISS."

* * *

Adrien woke up and greeted Plagg. "So... what did you think?" he smiled, sleepily.

Plagg plopped down by Adrien's side. "I think you should've brought some of those tacos home with you. They looked good."

"About Marinette, I mean!" he laughed. "You have a one-track mind."

"It was an... interesting day. What did you think about it?"

Adrien looked thoughtful. "I've never had a girlfriend, Plagg... but I think I see now why the other guys at school all want one so badly. That whole day, just spending time with Marinette like that, meeting her family, hanging out with her, the closeness... she seemed so comfortable with all of it... it all felt so right. Like, I want to call her right now and ask to do it all over again."

 _Well, I'll be! He DOES realize that girls without spots exist._

"It's an option," said Plagg. "You like her. She really likes you."

"Of course she likes me. She's a great friend whether I'm Adrien or Chat!" Adrien laughed.

 _Annnnd... never mind._ _Wake up, kid._

"Do you offer to kiss your other great friends goodnight?" Plagg asked, dryly. "Or bet your secret identity against that?"

At that, Adrien didn't just blush... he crumbled, which caught Plagg off guard. "THAT was... complicated," Adrien stammered.

"Go on. I've got all day."

* * *

Tikki chose her words carefully. "I know you accepted that kissing bet voluntarily, and that he was very gentle about it when he did it, but things were escalating fast and you must've felt really pressured. Do you want to talk about that, Marinette?"

Marinette shook her head. "No, it's... No, it's not that at all!" She was silent for a moment before continuing. "Tikki, it was the opposite of pressured."

"Can you explain?"

She managed another smile. "Chat KNEW how good I am at that game. He knew that he was set up the moment I challenged him to tell secrets. And he went on with it anyway, because that's who he is." She looked a little wistful. "It's amazing how I'm so hung up on 'who is the real Ladybug?' and here he's being so much more real and honest than I am. But anyway..."

"He knew when he made his challenge that he was going to lose, Tikki. Big time. He also knew that I'd NEVER ask him to unmask or anything that crazy. He didn't even play as well as he could in that last game! I could see he was holding back."

Marinette sighed. "He gave me every chance to bail out, before, during and after. If I ended up giving him a goodnight kiss... he knew it was because I wanted to."

Tikki looked quite surprised. "...And DID you want to?"

* * *

It was very rare that Plagg saw Adrien genuinely off-balance. This was one of those times.

"When Marinette asked me about how I feel about Ladybug, and I told her, she got really emotional... and that did something to me. I just felt a real connection with her, like a wave of emotion hit me too. I felt so close to her."

He wondered aloud, "She... actually reminds me of Ladybug in a lot of ways. I don't know how to explain it... she has the same kind of spirit, when she's feeling feisty. But there's also such a gentleness about Marinette, something that's really hard to resist."

"I wanted to put a smile back on her face more than anything, so I started cheating at the game, and that turned into a tickle fight, and then we ended up on the floor like that..."

He looked like he was having trouble finding the right words. "...And part of me looked at her laughing down there and thought, _She is so beautiful when she's happy._ Then we both stopped laughing... and she still was." Adrien's voice got soft, as if he could hardly believe he was saying this out loud. "I almost kissed her, Plagg. Right then and there."

"And then, of course, we were both SO embarrassed and I helped her up," he continued. "But for just a second there... usually, when I'm all flirty and kissy I'm just being Chat Noir. This was all me, even with the mask on."

Plagg just nodded. _It's about time._

"And I thought to myself, 'If this keeps going I don't know where it's going to end.' So I made my challenge, and I thought that would end the game and she'd just go 'Oh, Chat, you hopeless dork' and hit me with a pillow or something. But she hit Start."

Adrien swallowed hard. "I didn't want her to feel like I was forcing her into a kiss. I'd never do that, especially not to someone amazing like Marinette. So I tried to lose... _and she wouldn't let me lose_."

"What would you have done if she'd won and asked you to unmask?" Plagg asked, a little awed.

"I'd have unmasked," said Adrien, without pausing. "Marinette's someone I could trust with anything."

"...But she lost, maybe because she didn't really want to know that secret, and she was so nervous, and she leaned in anyway... I couldn't make her do it if she was nervous about it, if she didn't want to! Not then, especially not when we said goodnight. So I kissed her hand instead, so she wouldn't have to kiss me."

"What if she had wanted to?" asked Plagg.

"As if that would ever happen," Adrien laughed. Plagg didn't laugh. At all.

"Marinette wouldn't have..." A beat passed. Adrien's eyes widened.

"Would she?"

* * *

Marinette's eyes closed very, very tightly.

"...Yes. And yes. And YES. I really did."

She let Tikki's eyes return to their sockets before continuing.

"Tikki, he so much as told me to my face - again - that he loves me. ME! The girl who Ladybug really is! He made me cry inside, what he said was so beautiful. It took everything I had not to yell SPOTS ON! right then and there."

"..."

"The thing on the floor, after we were... horsing around... that didn't bother me. He was as surprised and embarrassed as I was! He didn't mean for us to land in that position. But I almost kissed him right then and there, and I didn't mostly because I didn't think he'd want me to."

"Marinette..."

"And then he made that challenge. And like I said, it was completely rigged in my favor and he knew that. He was saying _If you do want to kiss me... you can do it._ He knows I lost that game on purpose, and so do I."

"And then he let me wait until it felt more right. And then he saw how nervous I was, and I DON'T GET NERVOUS like that around Chat Noir, Tikki! Those were Adrien-level nerves! I don't get those... for..."

Tikki said nothing.

"Then he handled it so... perfectly. I felt my hand move, I felt that kiss, and it was like electricity all through me. It was... Tikki, don't you get it?"

"Tell me so I'm completely sure," Tikki asked, guardedly.

Marinette held her head in her hands. "I've wanted Adrien to kiss me for the longest time, Tikki. You know just _how much_ I've wanted that," she said, just above a whisper.

"When I leaned forward last night... I _needed_ Chat to kiss me." She closed her eyes again.

"I've never felt a need like that before. Ever," she breathed.

"So..." Marinette looked at Tikki like a lost soul. "Now what in the world do I do?"

* * *

"I'm thinking," Tikki said. "I can't fix this with one sentence." _Well, I _could_. But "Adrien is Chat Noir" isn't a sentence I can say._

"First off, Marinette," she began, "there is absolutely nothing wrong with you or what you're feeling. You're a young woman, you know Chat very well in both your lives, probably better than anyone else does. He's handsome, he cares deeply for you, he's a gentleman at heart. It's perfectly normal to be attracted to him."

"Overnight?" Marinette boggled. "Last week I would've laughed off kissing Chat without a second thought. Now I can't think of anything else."

"Last week, he hadn't said those sweet things that he said to you last night. Emotions can be like fireworks sometimes. They can sit there waiting for a long time, but one spark happens and BOOM! It's part of being human."

"Okay..."

"Though, that's also a reason to be a little cautious," Tikki warned. "That feeling came on like a tidal wave. Maybe give it a little time and see if it stays that strong."

"That also makes sense," said Marinette, calming a little bit.

"Now, there's the elephant in the room," continued Tikki, which made Marinette cringe, knowing what was coming. "If you DO pursue Chat Noir as a boyfriend... how will you keep your identity as Ladybug secret?"

"The same way that I do now? It's worked so far."

"You haven't wanted to kiss him so far," Tikki smiled. "Think you can defeat a supervillain and just say 'Pound it!' instead of diving into his arms?"

"Maybe? I haven't thought that far ahead yet," pondered Marinette. "I'd like to think I can have that much self-control."

"I know you do, Marinette. I just want you to make sure you think with your head AND your heart. And that brings me to the biggest thing you have to do."

"And that is?" Marinette asked.

"TALK TO HIM about how you feel."

"Great! The one thing I'm the worst at in the world," half-smiled Marinette.

* * *

"Could Marinette... have real feelings for me as Chat Noir?" Adrien whispered, a bit incredulously.

"Is it really that crazy?" Plagg asked. _Especially s_ _ince you have real feelings for her, even though you still don't know she's Ladybug?_ "You spend a lot of time together. You two are very close friends. You share emotional stuff with her. You spent the whole day yesterday bonding with her. You said yourself that you almost kissed her last night. She almost kissed you, twice."

"I know, but... she's never given me those kinds of signs before!"

"Have you given HER those signs before? I mean, apart from your normal flirting?" Plagg asked.

"Not that I know of..."

"...and yet YOU'RE all conflicted after one big night. Why couldn't she be, too?"

It sank in after a moment. Adrien shook his head. "I am so not good at these kinds of things."

"Don't just jump on her. Talk to her. Spend time with her. Find out if she does have feelings. Tease it out if it exists," said Plagg. "There's no need to rush into anything unless she wants to, and if she does want to you'll have your answer anyway because she'll have tackled you."

That got a laugh out of Adrien. "I should be so lucky. Thanks, Plagg. You're... making sense. I'll think about all this some more."

* * *

"Tikki? There are two more things on my mind. And I know I'm the queen of overthinking things, but I can't shake these either," Marinette ventured.

"Go ahead, Marinette," Tikki said. "I want to help."

"I kept questioning whether Chat Noir saw Ladybug or saw the person underneath. Am I... just looking at Chat Noir and not seeing HIS real self?"

"I think that's the least of your worries, Marinette. Think about it. You know how Chat is soft and gentle and thoughtful underneath all the goofiness. And I know that you LIKE the goofiness, too." Marinette started to protest, then grinned and nodded _Yeah_. "Who has he shown more of that to than you? I think he's being as true to himself with you as he can... and I think that's why you're falling for him."

Marinette looked almost a little dizzy. "That sounds so... unbelievable when you say it. But I think... okay, now the other thing."

"Which is?"

"What do I do about Adrien?"

* * *

Tikki had to stifle a laugh. _THAT'S WHO THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION IS ABOUT!,_ she wanted to scream, but couldn't.

"What else? Be his friend. Do everything that you do with him now. Except with no pressure if you're not trying to make him fall in love with you the whole time. You wouldn't date Chat Noir and Adrien at the same time, would you?" giggled Tikki, fully conscious of the irony of her question.

"No, of course not!" smiled Marinette. "I wouldn't want to hurt either one of them."

"And you're not Adrien's girlfriend... yet, right?"

"Right..." she sighed.

"And you're not CHAT'S girlfriend... yet, right?" added Tikki.

"Right. So maybe I should figure out if Chat has feelings for me before I get too worked up over this," decided Marinette.

"Or if Adrien does," Tikki giggled. _But I repeat myself._

"If I could figure THAT out, I wouldn't be the basket case that I am!" grumbled Marinette. _Hey.._. "Wait a minute... Tikki, do you know something I don't about that?"

"Breathe, Marinette," smiled Tikki. "In, then out."

* * *

Adrien toyed with the prepaid phone he'd bought for talking with Marinette.

"I know that Marinette's still crazy about... whoever the other guy is at our school," he mused. "Plagg, should I even approach her before she works out what to do about him?"

This was the funniest thing yet to Plagg. "Absolutely not!" he cackled.

"Is that fair to him?" Adrien asked.

"Only YOU would ever think of asking that question," Plagg laughed loudly. "You said yourself that whoever he was, if he didn't see how great Marinette really was, he had to be blind, right? So let me get this straight. Marinette's hurting because... that guy..."

Plagg couldn't stop laughing inside. _This poor kid._

"That guy can't see that she's wonderful. So you want to hold off on letting her know that she is, so that that guy can keep NOT letting her know that she is?"

"That's true," said Adrien. "But the whole point of this when I started was to try to help Marinette get the guy she really wanted. What's more important, what she wants or what... I might want?"

"Might?"

Adrien went quiet.

"What you want is for Marinette to feel loved. Let Marinette decide what she wants. Who she wants. She might surprise both of you with who that is."

Adrien looked at the clock, which showed just before nine in the morning. "It's not too early to message her, do you think?"

"Nah. If she's asleep, it'll be there when she wakes up." _And fifty Euros says she's sitting in her bed, wide awake, staring at her phone right now._

"Okay," resolved Adrien. "One way to find out."

* * *

Marinette rubbed her legs, absently, sitting on the edge of her bed. Her phone sat by her side. She wasn't sure if staring at it was going to make calls or messages arrive sooner, but it seemed like a pretty good strategy for the moment.

 _I haven't heard from Adrien since school ended,_ she thought. _I wonder what he's been up to?_ _This whole thing with Chat Noir has me CRAZY, but no matter what happens there, Adrien's always going to be my friend. I should reach out._

 _Heh. All I need to do that is some actual willpower._

She opened up a text message window to Adrien's number. _I've been missing you,_ she typed... then erased it.

 _I'm a big girl,_ she thought. _I can send a text message to a friend without getting short of breath. Right?_

Abruptly, her phone buzzed, making her jump. She looked down at it...

 **[Chat Noir] Good morning, Princess.**

 _Awwww!_ Warm feelings ran through every inch of her. She picked up her phone and typed:

 **[Marinette] Hi, sweetie! I was just thinking about you.**

She smiled and hugged her legs to her chest, thinking about the night before. Then a thought jumped out and grabbed her full attention.

 _Wait! Did I JUST-_

Marinette scanned her phone, frantically. _I did NOT just send that to Adrien, did I?_

* * *

Adrien's phone buzzed with an incoming message. _Good, she is awake! I can -_

 _WAIT! That's my OTHER phone._

He picked up his everyday phone and saw:

 **[Marinette] Hi, sweetie! I was just thinking about you.**

A drop of sweat decided that this was a good time to run down his forehead.

* * *

 _WHAT DID I JUST DO?_ Marinette panicked. _I mean, yes, I was thinking of Adrien but I didn't mean to send that to him now!_

Quickly, she opened Chat Noir's message and started responding.

* * *

"PLAGG!" Adrien hissed. "SHE KNOWS!"

Plagg floated over, sleepily. "Who knows what?"

"I just messaged Marinette as Chat. SHE RESPONDED TO ADRIEN."

"Whoa!" _Well, this had to happen sooner or later._ "Be cool. Think about how you want to handle this..."

The Chat-phone buzzed. Adrien grabbed it and saw:

 **[Marinette] Hi, sweetie! I was just thinking about you.**

"Okay... maybe she'd meant to send that to CHAT and sent it to you by mistake," reasoned Plagg. In a sing-song voice, he said, "Or maybe she thinks that you're a sweetie too..."

"Will you knock it off? I have to think!" agonized Adrien. "She can see that I'm online as Adrien, so I can't just ignore that message! Maybe she _doesn't_ know..."

He texted frantically on both phones.

* * *

Marinette stared at her phone even more intensely, praying that she hadn't just... well, what had she done, really? She told Adrien that she'd been thinking of him. That wasn't so bad, was it? _OH, GOD, I JUST CALLED ADRIEN SWEETIE! I've never called him that before! What will he_ _think?_ _I..._

A pair of messages arrived, one right after the other.

 **[Adrien] Hi! What a nice surprise! I'd been meaning to check on you. How have you been?**

 **[Chat Noir] Likewise. Did you sleep well?**

* * *

"There," Adrien muttered. "If she doesn't know, she'll still think we're two different people. If she does, she'll be laughing her head off or think I've gone crazy."

He waited, impatiently, for the responses.

First the Chat-phone buzzed:

 **[Marinette] As well as I could! My hand is still tingling. :3**

Then the Adrien-phone:

 **[Marinette] Better. Learning to relax again. Your father keeping you busy?**

"Looks like you got away with it," said Plagg. Adrien exhaled a sigh of relief.

"Also looks like you got someone's attention with that goodnight kiss..." added Plagg.

* * *

Tikki floated over, feeling curious. "Who's messaging you now?"

"BOTH OF THEM!" hissed Marinette.

"Well! Let me get my popcorn ready," Tikki giggled.

"NOT HELPING!"

More messages came in.

 **[Chat Noir] An interesting reaction. Do you normally tingle when kissed goodnight?**

 **[Chat Noir] ;)**

"Wow!" said Tikki. Marinette's internal temperature went up a few degrees.

"Help me, Tikki!" she said. "I don't want to text back 'I wouldn't know.'" Tikki whispered in her ear, and she giggled.

* * *

"Was that too much?" Adrien asked Plagg.

"For you? Naw," he replied. "She knows you're a flirt, and you managed to avoid any puns."

The Chat-phone buzzed.

 **[Marinette] Only when the kisser knows exactly what he's doing...**

Adrien turned beet red. Plagg reminded him, "Don't forget to respond back as Adrien, too!"

"Oh, y-yeah."

* * *

Marinette willed her phone to buzz again, and it did.

 **[Adrien] Very busy, but I want to make time to see you. :) Can we get together sometime?**

 _EEEEEEEEEEE!_

 **[Chat Noir] Perhaps I need to try it again sometime. Just to make sure that's what caused it.**

 **[Chat Noir] Would you be free again any time soon? I'd really like to see you again.**

 _EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!_

"Someone's popular today," smiled Tikki, as Marinette twitched with delight. "How are you going to arrange this?"

"Very carefully."

* * *

"Did... you just ask Marinette out as Adrien AND as Chat?" Plagg asked, not sure if he'd seen that right.

"Maybe a little," Adrien said, a little sheepishly. "She's my good friend as Adrien, right? No matter what, I always want her to be at least that, and I haven't seen her in a while as myself. And maybe I can get a little intel about what she thinks of me as Chat, too."

"Crafty!" Plagg smiled. _Just be gentle with her as yourself..._

Adrien's phones buzzed again, very quickly.

 **[Marinette] I would love to, Adrien! How about lunch today or tomorrow? Or whatever day works best for you.**

followed by...

 **[Marinette] I'm free tomorrow night. What might you have in mind?**

 _Hmmmm..._

* * *

"Why tomorrow and not tonight?" Tikki asked.

"I need at least a day for my brain to stop quivering," grinned Marinette.

The phone buzzed again:

 **[Adrien] Lunch tomorrow sounds great. Can I pick you up at your house around noon?**

 _Yes yes yes yes yes you can!_

And then:

 **[Chat Noir] Let me think on that. I'd like to take you out somewhere fun for both of us. Tomorrow night, around seven?**

 _Yes yes yes yes yes YOU can!_

"Two dates in one day!" marveled Tikki. "You may be new to this, but you're catching up fast."

"I am making this up as I go along and YOU KNOW IT," Marinette replied, nervously typing. "I'm not flying this plane, I'm trying to keep it from crashing."

* * *

Adrien watched both phones spring to life again:

 **[Marinette] Noon sounds perfect. Can't wait to see you then!**

followed by:

 **[Marinette] Tomorrow at seven sounds great. Don't keep me waiting...**

"These are from the same girl, right?" marveled Plagg.

"I'm beginning to wonder..."

* * *

"You little flirt!" Tikki laughed.

"Can't have him thinking that I'll be a pushover, can I?" Marinette giggled. She then flopped over in a heap on her bed and groaned. "Tikki... why can't ANYTHING ever be easy?"

"It seems like things are going pretty well, aren't they?" asked Tikki.

"Almost too well. The last guy I would've ever expected to get to me... GOT TO ME last night. Chat Noir made my _knees weak,_ Tikki. And NOW... the very next day, when I'm actually confident enough to respond to him, and even flirt back a little... ADRIEN FINALLY ASKED ME OUT! Kind of."

"And I'm really glad he did, Marinette." _More than you know._ "Why did you pick lunch with him, by the way?"

"One, it's sooner," she smiled. "Two, less pressure than a dinner date. Maybe I'll actually be able to string sentences together for once. And three should be obvious."

"You don't want Adrien and Chat knowing that you're going out with both of them, so you're spacing them hours apart," Tikki said, suppressing a laugh at the irony.

"Am I 'going out' with either yet? I don't know if either one is at all serious about me! Or if I'm reading too much into just spending time with them," Marinette lamented. "This is baby steps towards finding out. And if by some miracle both of them are, you know I'd never want to hurt either one of them."

"I know," said Tikki. "Just take things slow."

 _I'm actually really glad that you're seeing Adrien first,_ she thought. _Because I _need_ to talk to Plagg and find out what's really in that boy's head!_

* * *

Finally ready to face the day, Marinette got dressed and headed downstairs, looking to get a few calories into her system before helping her father in the bakery again.

Tom was already downstairs working the dough, but Sabine was sitting at the kitchen table, sipping her tea. "Look what the Chat dragged in!" she teased, lightly, seeing her daughter's buoyant mood.

Marinette's grin-that-she-couldn't-suppress face said it all. "Honey, you know I'm just teasing you. Your father and I _really_ like Chat Noir, and I _love_ seeing you this happy," reassured her mother.

"This morning, it got even crazier. Can we talk for a few minutes?" Marinette asked, shyly.

"Of course!" Sabine poured a fresh cup for herself and for Marinette. "Tell me what's on your mind."

"Well... Chat and I have been friends for a long time. It's never been more than friendship, but I... think we really do like each other," said a blushing Marinette.

"I could see that just from watching you two yesterday. You were so at ease around him, but I saw a real spark too." Sabine took a sip. "I think you're right."

"I never expected that to happen, so I'm trying to get my head around that. He messaged me this morning, and he wants to go out with me somewhere tomorrow night. We're figuring out what and where," Marinette said.

"Good! Let me know if I can help. So why is it crazier?"

Marinette's eyes went everywhere but at her mother. "Do you remember... Adrien?"

* * *

"Let's see... Adrien. Adrien... The name is vaguely familiar... He's not the blonde boy in your class whose pictures are all over your bedroom walls and you've been in love with for months, is he?" Sabine's eyes were dancing with mischief.

"That's the one," Marinette gulped. "I messaged him this morning just to touch base with him, not even trying for anything... and he asked me out to lunch tomorrow."

"Hmmmm!" Another sip. "What did you tell him?"

"YES, of course!" Marinette nearly shouted. "But now I'm trying not to feel terrible. I'm not... playing around, am I? It feels like something Chloe would do."

"Well... first off, I know I'd never raise a daughter of mine to be like HER." Sabine smiled, sympathetically. "And the fact that you're worried about both boys' feelings means that you're not."

"Yeah. But I've never had one boy interested in me, let alone two. If it really IS two. If it even is ONE. I don't know how to do this."

"Has either one said they're looking to get serious, or go steady, or anything like that?" asked Sabine.

"No..."

"Are they both going to remain friends of yours, no matter what?"

"Well... yeah, of course!"

"Then is it wrong to like two boys who are friends of yours, and spend time with both of them, and see where your heart lies? I don't think so," Sabine reassured her. "I know you very well. You're not the kind of girl who'd play with someone's heart, ever. It'll make sense when it's right."

Marinette leaned over and hugged her mother. "Thank you, Mom. That helps more than you know."

"And I won't tell you this to tell you what to do," Sabine whispered. "Only you'll know that. But when I looked at Chat Noir yesterday... that young man's eyes were shining every time he was with you."

Marinette looked up with wide eyes. "You could tell that?"

"Anyone could tell that."

* * *

Marinette floated through the rest of the afternoon like a soap bubble. Her father marveled at her mood, teasing her that she was making the soufflés rise just by looking at them.

At dinner, he asked her, "Are you seeing your _chaton_ again anytime soon?"

"I am," she smiled. "He wants to take me out tomorrow night. Assuming, of course, that Hawkmoth behaves himself."

"He'd better," Tom grunted. "No one deprives my daughter of a night of romance! Or else!"

"Or else what?" Sabine asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I have a spatula and I know how to use it," he declared, waving a salad spoon threateningly to a round of laughter.

Marinette looked down, a little embarrassed. "I won't count that night of romance until it happens... but I wouldn't turn it down."

"Or a lunch of romance?" her mother snuck in, in a deadpan voice.

"MOM!" Marinette laid her head on the table in defeat.

Tom looked amused. "A lunch date, too? Do tell!"

* * *

As Marinette prepared for bed, Tikki did her best to relax her. "I know tomorrow's a big day, Marinette, but try to get some sleep tonight! Last night was... well, it took a lot out of you."

"I know," she said, yawning. "I'm checking out early. Tomorrow's going to be crazy."

She turned out the lights and laid down, playing a game on her phone to wind down until she was ready to sleep. A few minutes later, her game was interrupted by an incoming message:

 **[Chat Noir]** **Good night, Princess. Wish I could be there to say it in person.**

Marinette melted for a minute, then thought about how to respond. She held her phone out, checked to make sure that her pajama top covered everything that it should and her hair looked okay, and took a photo of herself blowing a kiss with her head on her pillow. She texted that back to Chat, with a message attached to it, then curled up for a well-deserved night's sleep.

* * *

In his room, Adrien wondered briefly if he'd gone too far with that goodnight message. Then his phone buzzed, and he saw Marinette's goodnight kiss picture, with its accompanying message:

 **[Marinette] Me, too.**

* * *

Next time:

* An afternoon with Adrien!

* An evening with Chat!

* An interrogation by Alya!

* An upcoming event that might stir the pot a bit!


	4. A Farewell to Just

The Marinette Project, Chapter 4: A Farewell To Just

* * *

Marinette rummaged through her closet and dresser frantically the next morning, trying to make decisions for her very busy day. "This is insane, Tikki!" she moaned. "I'll take forever to decide on ONE outfit, let alone two!"

"You are going to look beautiful no matter what you choose," Tikki assured her. "It's going to be a gorgeous day today, no chance of rain, so go with something that'll be comfortable and that you can move in. Do you know where you're going yet?"

"Nope, and nope. I know it'll be lunch somewhere with Adrien, and Chat will keep me guessing if I know him."

"That sundress is really cute, don't you think?" Tikki commented. "Or that top in your right hand."

"This one, not that one?" gestured Marinette.

"They're both really cute, but the one on the right brings out your eyes."

"Or I could go with all red and black. Maybe a bodystocking with a mask. Do you think Adrien or Chat would like that more?" Marinette teased.

 _Either one would be a puddle at your feet if you did that,_ Tikki thought. "Both would... once they woke up from fainting."

"Yeah, I know," she laughed. "These shoes?" she gestured, holding up a pair of low heels.

"If you're not doing anything particularly athletic, sure, they'll look great!" said Tikki. "So they'll probably be perfect for lunch. Do you want to message Adrien and see if he has anywhere in mind?"

"Me? Message Adrien out of the blue twice in a month? He'd faint from shock," Marinette replied. "And I'd faint from anxiety."

"Adrien still gives you the shivers, hmmmm?" asked Tikki, knowingly.

"Everywhere I have that can shiver," Marinette said, closing her eyes and smiling. "Imagine what he could do to me if he TRIED!"

"Which is actually a good question, Marinette." Tikki sat on one of Marinette's jewelry boxes with a thoughtful look on her tiny face. "Which date are you hoping to go better, if you know what I mean?"

Marinette sat down on her computer chair, still holding multiple hangers. "Can you imagine having to ask me that a week ago, Tikki? It's crazy." She pondered the question for a moment. "Actually, my having ONE date a week ago would've seemed crazy. Especially one with Chat Noir, of all people!"

She let out a happy sigh. "Chat just HAD to turn out to be that sweet..."

Tikki grinned and said nothing. _One of these days, Adrien's going to find the middle ground between his two sides,_ she thought. _When he's with you as Chat lately, he's more than halfway there. Adrien's sensitivity mixed with Chat's roguish charm? Marinette, you won't stand a chance._

* * *

A few minutes later, Marinette's phone rang.

"Is that your sweetie, or do I need to be more specific?" sang Tikki.

"Wrong ringtone! That's Alya," Marinette laughed, answering it. "Alya! Hi! I've been meaning to call you all week!"

"Hey, girl!" Alya grinned. "Glad to see you're feeling better!"

"Yeah, I was letting everything get to me, but things are looking up..." she replied.

"Great! What are you doing today?"

"Right now, picking out outfits..." She held up two blouses to her cell phone camera. "The teal or the floral pattern?"

"Teal. I like teal on you," Alya said. "Outfits for whaaaaat? Got a hot date?"

Marinette just smiled at her.

"Oh... you... DO!" Alya's grin was huge. "Who's the lucky guy? Is it Adrien? Tell me it's Adrien!"

"Mmmmmmmaybe, maybe not..."

"I know it is!" giggled Alya. "About time! Are you going to come out to lunch with me and tell me everything?"

"I'm kind of... booked up at lunchtime, Alya," Marinette winked.

"So it's a lunch date?"

 _Oh, she is going to SCREAM when I tell her this..._ "One of them is."

* * *

Alya's jaw hit the floor.

"ONE OF THEM?"

"I KNOW, RIGHT?" exclaimed Marinette. "And THAT'S why I hadn't called you yet. I've been... a little preoccupied?"

"A bit!" Alya gasped, appreciatively. "You are going to tell me what's going on, right?"

"Tell you what... are you free for lunch tomorrow? I'll give you as much of the rundown as I can about today... and tonight."

"You can't keep me away. Oh, don't leave me hanging! Is ONE of them Adrien?"

"Mmmmmmmaybe, maybe not...," Marinette giggled. "But I'll let you know if he likes the teal."

* * *

She settled on a teal blouse with a little lace and a heather grey midi-skirt for lunch. As she breezed downstairs, her father whistled appreciatively. "Someone's looking gorgeous today! Must be someone special she's meeting..."

"Thank you, Daddy," she smiled, kissing his cheek. "You've met him before - Adrien, the boy I was in that videogame tournament with? He came here to practice with me that one time?"

"It seems our daughter has a type," Sabine noted, entering the room. "Very cute blondes who aren't quite as good at her at games."

"They don't HAVE to be that," replied Marinette. "But I guess it helps! Anyway, it's just catching up over lunch."

"Just?" asked Sabine.

"Just catching up over lunch with one of the cutest and sweetest boys on the PLANET whose pictures keep ending up on my wall, yes," Marinette agreed, grinning from ear to ear. "Just."

Tom raised an eyebrow. "What about your _chaton?"_

Her mother laughed. "His turn comes later."

"MOM!" yelled Marinette, turning red. Once she got past that indignation, she continued, "Mom is mostly right, though. I spent all year trying to get Adrien's attention, but we're still just good friends, and that's what this is, friends getting together. Unless he REALLY surprises me at lunch, but somehow I doubt that. Chat and I have a date tonight, and THAT... um... might go differently."

"Just... how differently?" Tom inquired, leaning in closer. "Perhaps I don't want to know."

"You wouldn't want me to be sweet sixteen and never been kissed, would you, Dad?" Marinette asked, putting on her best innocent face.

"Can we vote on that? It's only a little more than a year from now..." he ventured.

Tom saw Sabine and Marinette both shaking their heads "No" and admitted defeat, grumbling something good-naturedly about women always ganging up on him and, oh, the unfairness of this world.

* * *

Meanwhile, over at the Agreste mansion, Adrien also had wardrobe decisions to make for lunch... but he had other things on his mind at the moment.

"Hey, Adrien!" Plagg called from the nearby computer desk.

"Hmmmm?"

"Don't kiss your phone."

"I am NOT going to kiss my phone," Adrien grumbled at him. The picture Marinette had sent him the night before, of her blowing Chat Noir a gentle goodnight kiss, hadn't left that phone screen for hours.

"You're sure?"

"YES."

"I'm just going to jot this down for posterity, in case I need to refer to it later. Nine forty-five AM... Adrien... swears... he'd never... kiss his phone... HEY!"

He ducked a thrown rolled-up sock.

"Can't a guy enjoy the cutest thing he's ever seen in his life in peace?" asked Adrien.

"Suuuuure, he can enjoy it. Just lying back, gazing into those big bluebell eyes... those soft lips, parted ever so gently... holding the phone closer... clooooooser..."

*THWUMP!* The next thrown sock hit the mark.

"So, speaking of the cutest thing you've ever seen... where are you taking her today?" Plagg asked, recovering from the indignity swiftly.

"Which time?"

"Either time. It's lunch as Adrien, then something romantic as Chat later, right?"

"Yeah. I have an idea for lunch that I want to run by her first, nothing too complicated but I think she'll like it," mused Adrien. "For later... I'm still debating between a couple of things. It's not going to be, like, Chez Coûteux fancy or anything like that for a first date, but I do want to pick something that she'll really enjoy. Just the two of us."

"You... are going to keep this at least semi-private, right?" added Plagg. "I mean, Chat Noir doesn't get the same kind of media coverage Ladybug does, but you'll want to keep her picture out of the papers."

"Yeah, that's a great way to make her a target," reasoned Adrien, "and I _really_ don't want that. But Marinette and I have been hanging out long enough that she understands how the superhero thing works - Chat comes out mostly at night and we'll steal time together whenever we can. We'll talk about it. It helps that we can still talk and message on the phone during the day."

"Uh-huh. Talk on the phone, message on the phone... kiiiissssss the phoooooone..."

Plagg flew to the far side of the room, cackling. Adrien was out of nearby socks and he didn't want to know what Adrien might throw next.

* * *

Marinette's phone rang again. Tikki knew that it was Adrien this time from the speed at which she pounced on it.

"Hi, Adrien!" she answered. "Just picking out what I'm going to wear..."

"I was just going to check with you on that. Got shoes in mind where you can do a little walking?"

"I certainly could. What do you have in mind?" Marinette asked.

"Well... I figure that I'll have my car drop me off and we'll meet at your bakery, rather than have them drive us around. Unless you want to eat lunch with my bodyguard watching us the whole time..." began Adrien.

"No offense to him, but _ugh, no._ You're so much cuter." _WAIT! Did I just say that out loud!?_

 _"_ That's not a very high bar to clear, but thank you," Adrien laughed. "What's that little cafe two blocks over called?"

"Josephine's? Oooh, I like that place. My mother and I go there sometimes," replied Marinette, happily.

"I was thinking that we could either eat there... or I just happen to have a picnic basket that we could fill up with Josephine's to-go, then take it over to the park across the way and set up there," Adrien suggested. "There are benches and tables, trails to walk down, really nice scenery..."

"Why, Adrien! It almost sounds like you want to spend more time with me," kidded Marinette. "I'd love that! And I'll pick out something I can walk in comfortably. I never was a five-inch-heel girl anyway."

"Sounds like a plan, then. See you in a little while, Marinette?"

"I'll be here! See you then."

* * *

Just before noon, Tom enjoyed watching his daughter's fidgeting. She was doing her best to help customers in the bakery while waiting for Adrien, but to say that she was distracted was a vast understatement. Luckily, the customers seemed more amused than put off by her antics.

"The eclairs are the cream-filled ones on your left, Marinette. Your other left," Tom chided, grinning.

"I am SO SORRY!" Marinette exclaimed, swapping what she was offering a customer for what they'd actually ordered. "I don't know where my mind is right now."

They heard a car pull up to the curb, just outside. "I'm pretty sure it's about fifty feet over that way."

 _I am not going to babble. I am NOT going to babble. I am NOT going to BABBLE_ , Marinette repeated to herself in her head. _It's just lunch. I'm just hanging out with a boy I see all the time. I am not going to OH it should be ILLEGAL for that boy to look that good!_ , her thought process short-circuiting as the front door opened and Adrien walked in, wearing a polo shirt and khakis instead of his usual school attire. _Yum!_

"Hello, Mr. Dupain! Nice to see you again," Adrien waved. "Marinette, you look... wow!" He seemed at a loss for words.

 _Gwaaaaaah!_ went Marinette's brain. "Thank you! You, uh, look very... wow, yourself," she blushed. _V_ _ERY WOW? WHAT?_

"Wows all around," Tom laughed. "You both look great. Say, Adrien, can I see that picnic basket for a moment?"

"Sure!" He put it up on the counter, as Marinette gave her father as subtle of a _What ARE you doing?_ look as she could manage.

"A little something for dessert," said Tom, hefting a white box from under the counter and placing it in the basket.

"Thank you so much! I can hardly wait to see what it is," Adrien replied.

"Me too! Thank you, Dad!" grinned Marinette.

The pair headed for the door and out to the cafe. Tom watched their body language and thought, _The chaton might have a little competition! He may be 'just a friend,' but he's almost as nervous as she is! I think they'd be holding hands right now, if they weren't both too bashful to reach out._

* * *

On the way to the cafe, Adrien marveled again at Marinette's outfit. "I mean it, Marinette, that is REALLY pretty on you! Even more than usual."

 _He thinks I'm... USUALLY pretty?! Must... not... melt down..._

"Th-thank you, Adrien," she managed. "You look great, too! It's nice to get to dress up a little. For some reason, it just seems like we see each other in the same old outfits all the time."

"I've gotten that feeling too, sometimes," Adrien said. "I wonder why that is?"

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you are imagining both of them breaking the fourth wall and giving you a look right now, you probably should be.]

"At least I'm better dressed than that time we went to the movies," Marinette said. "I still can't believe I was in public like that."

"What? I thought your towel-turban and my motorcycle helmet matched perfectly," he teased.

"I meant my being in my pajamas, silly!" she chided him. "I had no intentions of being out in those, but once you ran into me, I just sort of ran with it."

Adrien turned and gave her a funny look. "Wait... those were your pajamas?"

"...Yes?"

"Huh! I didn't even... I just thought you picked something light and comfortable for a warm day," he said, sheepishly.

A thought struck him. He snuck his Chat-phone out of his pocket and stole a peek at his new favorite photograph. _How about that - she WAS wearing the same top she had on that day! Now I feel ridiculous that I didn't notice then..._

Marinette saw him looking at something on his phone. "Did you get a new phone?" she asked. "I thought yours was grey."

"No! I, um, yeah! It is," he babbled. "Dad gave it to me for, uh, his work-related stuff. Just making sure that nothing's calling me away; I really don't want anything to interrupt today."

She watched him shut the new phone off and pocket it. _You're hiding something, Adrien, but I'll let that go for now,_ she smiled to herself.

They reached the cafe, picked up their lunch orders and headed for the park.

* * *

As they reached the entrance to the park, Marinette pointed out a sign listing upcoming events there, one catching her eye. "Have you ever been to the June Masquerade, Adrien?"

"Can't say that I have," he said. "What's it like?"

"Oh, it's a lot of fun!" she told him. "It's a big outdoor costume party for whoever wants to come. Young, old, little kids, parents, they all dress up. My friends and I usually end up going as a group. We did Alice in Wonderland last year, and I was the Cheshire Cat! My mom and dad went as Superman and Lois Lane one year, and nearly won Best Couple."

"Oh, there are contests and judges too?"

"And food, and music, and dancing, and all kinds of stuff. It's like the best block party ever."

"Hmmm. What do you think I'd look good as?" asked Adrien.

"You'd make a GREAT Ladybug!" Marinette giggled.

"Uh-huh," Adrien smirked. "If I put her costume on I doubt she'd ever want to wear it again."

 _You might be surprised at that,_ Marinette thought, suppressing both those thoughts and another round of giggles. "Seriously, think about it! I know we can always add one more to our group. I promise you'll have a great time."

"I'll give it some thought," he smiled. "I bet with your sewing talent, you could make something amazing."

* * *

Marinette and Adrien picked out a picnic table that was clean, unoccupied, and not far from a playground where a lot of smaller children were romping and swinging. Their lunches were terrific, and neither one took long to wolf theirs down. They were in no hurry, though - today was more about talking than eating.

"It is really nice to see you smiling again," Adrien said, wiping his mouth. "The last few days of school, you seemed really down, from what I could tell."

"Oh... I just had a lot of people I knew I was really going to miss," replied Marinette. She gave him a sincere smile and added "...some more than others," which gave Adrien an unexpected little flutter inside. "Our class seemed to be really close to each other this year. Most of us, anyway. I liked that quite a lot."

"I'll take your word on that being unusual," Adrien said, "since I don't have public school experience. But you're right, I made a lot of friends there this year, more than I was expecting to. Some who I feel really close to, and I'm very glad I got to know." He flashed his own smile at her and added, "...some more than others," which nearly sent Marinette floating skyward.

"Your dad's going to let you continue there next year?" she asked.

"As far as I know! With my dad, sometimes it's hard to tell from one day to the next what he'll have in mind, but he seems happy so far with how it turned out," replied Adrien. "As long as I don't turn into some kind of gooey purple supervillain. That school seems like it's cursed sometimes."

"I know, right?" Marinette laughed. "I think you're the only one in our class that hasn't been targeted at least once! Chloe is, like, a magnet."

"She's... troubled," Adrien sighed. "She's always been immature, for as long as I've known her. She does have some good inside, but it's buried pretty deep. Her family makes mine seem almost normal."

"It's sweet of you to care about her," said Marinette. "Even when she doesn't deserve it. But that's who you are; you give us all the benefit of the doubt."

"Which is really nice of YOU to say, Marinette," he replied. "I think it's just... I've been fighting that kind of image my whole life. People look at who my father is and they figure, hey, there's Adrien Agreste, his dad's famous, he does modeling, he must be another spoiled, stuck-up rich kid, only thinks about himself. And that's the last person I'd ever want to be."

"I don't think you could be that even if you tried," Marinette smiled.

Adrien blushed a bit at her statement. Changing the subject, he asked, "So... what do you have lined up for this summer?"

* * *

"Honestly, I'm not sure," Marinette said. "I'm learning a lot from my dad about baking, and I plan to help him all I can. I'm keeping up with my designs and sketches, because that's what I _want_ to do as I get older. But other than that, I'm just kind of taking it as it comes. I've had some... surprises already."

"What kind of surprises?" Adrien asked, leaning forward with heightened interest and a big smile. _One in particular with cat ears?_

"Like, sitting in the park eating a picnic lunch with a supermodel, for one," she parried back. "I can't say that happens to me every day..."

"For one thing, 'supermodel' is pushing it quite a bit," Adrien said, turning a bit red. "And some of that surprise was mine! I was really happy when I heard your ringtone on my phone yesterday."

Marinette tingled. _I HAVE MY OWN RINGTONE ON ADRIEN'S PHONE!_ "Really?"

"Of course!" he replied, smiling even wider. "You're one of my favorite people to spend time with, but we don't connect on the phone that often. I was afraid I'd barely get to see you this summer. But here we are..."

She tried hard to respond to that with anything more complicated than "meep!" The effort failed, so she settled on a huge but silent grin.

 _I have to go fishing just a little bit more,_ thought Adrien. "Any prospects for... seeing anyone this summer?" he asked, kicking himself for his lack of subtlety.

* * *

Marinette's brain took off like a runaway rocket ship.

 _WHY WOULD HE ASK ME THAT? Does he know about Chat Noir? How would he know about Chat Noir? Do _I_ even know what's going on with Chat Noir? Can I say anything about that? Should I? Is Adrien just being friendly in asking? Could he be... could he be asking if I'm unattached? Could ADRIEN want to go out with me? Is that even possible? What does that smile of his mean? Am I hallucinating?_

Adrien watched Marinette's face contort a bit as her brain overclocked, and was slightly alarmed that he'd overstepped. "Marinette, I... I didn't mean to pry..."

"N-no, it's fine," she stammered, regaining some composure. "I'm just... I'm working some things out on my end, and it's hard to describe yet." _Adrien Agreste is paying attention to ME and asking about my love life and I CANNOT TELL HIM that I have a romantic date tonight with Chat! But I can't lie to that face, either._

"For now, at least, I'm still single," she began, trying to explain as much and as little as she could. "I have a... good friend... and we've been friends for a long time, and very recently, we, uh... I think I've been getting signals from him. I think I'm sending them, too," she said, turning crimson.

"So I'm waiting to see what happens with that. Nothing official yet, though, in case, um..." Marinette faltered.

 _Bingo_ _!_ Adrien thought. _She must be talking about Chat Noir. Who else could it be?_

* * *

Marinette felt a tiny tremor in her purse. She looked down and saw Tikki motioning to her. To cover for it, she feigned dropping something and said "Whoops! Hang on a second..."

Leaning down to ground level, she whispered, "What is it, Tikki?"

"I need to fly away from you for a minute! Checking on something! Had to let you know just in case something happens!"

"What?" Marinette looked quite confused.

"I'll be right back! Keep talking to Adrien!" Tikki hissed.

She flew over to the picnic basket as silently as she could, staying out of sight, desperately trying to stay out of Adrien's sight. "PLAGG!" she whispered.

A tiny black cat head raised the lid of the basket a fraction of an inch. "Tikki?" he whispered, shocked.

"Come with me! We need to talk, now!" Tikki said, flying away into a nearby clump of tall grass. Plagg followed as surreptitiously as he could, wondering what was going on.

* * *

"So how about you? Anyone new in your life?" Marinette asked, desperately trying to deflect the subject.

Now it was Adrien's turn to squirm. "I, uh... I'm not sure yet, either. I'm actually in what sounds like a similar situation. I have a friend who is... really special to me, and, well... I like how you put it, 'there have been signals.' It's a little stranger on my end because, uh, there's one thing about it I can't really talk about, but..."

Marinette's eyes got wide. "Is it... anyone I'd know?" she asked.

"It's possible," he answered, evasively. "But like you said, right now, I'm still single too. Kind of hoping that I won't be soon."

Marinette's heart went thumpa-thumpa-thumpa-thumpa-thump. _He CANNOT be suggesting what I think he is. He CAN'T. Can he?_

* * *

Plagg got within a few inches of Tikki in the clump of grass and she yanked him inside. "Tikki? What's going on?" he whispered.

"Quick! We need to compare notes on this. What has Adrien been saying about Marinette?" Tikki barked.

"He is CRAZY about her now. Without her spots, even. I think he's going to tell her tonight as Chat Noir," replied Plagg.

"But not tell her right now as Adrien?"

"I don't think so... I think he thinks she likes him better with the ears on. Likes him THAT way, I mean. He has no freakin' clue that she's been crushing on him as Adrien. With ears and without, he's mooning over her."

"That's what I thought! Yes, she's still got a thing for Adrien. But she is head over HEELS for Chat right now," Tikki explained, as quickly as she could. "So Adrien needs to figure out which way he wants to date her because if he tries both, Marinette's head will explode."

"So we want Chat and Marinette, not Adrien and Marinette?" Plagg asked, trying to draw the diagram in his head.

"I'd RATHER it be Adrien and Marinette for simplicity's sake, but that's not my call," sighed Tikki. "But right now, Chat loves Marinette and Marinette loves Chat? For real?"

"Sure sounds like it."

"Good. That'll help us give the right advice," Tikki said. Her smile grew wide and she hugged Plagg tightly. "Oh, it's been FOREVER since we've had a Chat and a Ladybug in love!"

"Yeah, it has. Let's get back!"

The Kwamis darted back to their respective hiding places.

* * *

Marinette felt another tremor in her purse. She looked down and saw Tikki giving a tiny thumbs-up and a big smile, which reassured her quite a bit.

"So... someone mentioned that I should wear some walking shoes?" Marinette smiled, showing off her feet in stylish, but cushioned sandals.

"As a matter of fact, I did," Adrien smiled. "I'm certainly not ready to go home yet, so... shall we go for a stroll?"

With big smiles on both faces, they tidied up the table, packed up the basket, and picked one of the walking paths at random, starting a lap around the park.

Neither one of them had the slightest idea that they were being watched from afar...

* * *

Alya was at home, watching some afternoon TV, when her phone rang. She saw that it was Alix Kubdel calling, which was unusual, although still quite welcome.

"Hi, Alix! What's up?" Alya asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Alix said. "So I'm going to show you. I was out rollerblading in the park today, and guess what I just saw?"

She held her phone up, pointing the camera towards a young woman with a familiar twin-tailed hairstyle, sitting at a picnic table with a blonde male companion. Both looked very comfortable being there with each other.

"It looks to ME like Operation: Secret Garden is back on... but this time it's a solo mission," quipped Alix.

"YES! She told me this morning that she had a lunch date, but I didn't know for sure that it was with Adrien! You go, Marinette!" Alya yelled, excitedly.

"You want me to do anything, give her any advice, call in some backup?" Alix asked.

"No! Don't do anything, she's doing FANTASTIC all on her own!" cooed Alya. "What are they doing now?"

Alix crouched down to try to stay out of view. "Looks like they just finished cleaning up the picnic table... annnnnnd... they're going for a walk together! Definitely not leaving yet. Nice!"

She held the camera up again, showing Alya the two walking side by side down the path.

"Come on... hold her hand... hold her hand... you know you want to..." muttered Alya.

"Heh. I'll stay out of sight, but I figured you'd want to know," Alix said.

* * *

Walking through the park with Adrien, enjoying the afternoon breeze, Marinette felt at peace with the world. She wasn't sure if Adrien really did have anything resembling romantic intentions, or if he even knew what those were, but his just being that close to her and comfortable being next to her made her feel like she was in a dream.

They engaged in small talk as they ambled along, nothing complicated. For long stretches, words weren't even needed, as the young friends simply took in the scenery and the day together.

Their hands swayed back and forth as they walked. The backs of their hands brushed against each other occasionally, very gently, presumably by accident.

Did either hand reach out at all, however unconsciously, to clasp the other gently? Then back away, unsure, unwilling to entertain the possibility of being clasped back? Or of NOT being clasped back?

One did... then pulled back, slowly.

Then the other did... then pulled back, just as slowly.

Who reached out first? Perhaps no one else will ever know. Perhaps neither one of them even know.

But what they do know is that, eventually, finally, ever so delicately, about halfway down the path, both hands reached out together.

* * *

When the pair returned to the bakery around three o'clock, Marinette was pretty sure that the entire world could see how ridiculously happy she was, walking down her street, holding the hand of Adrien Agreste as if it was the most normal thing in the world for that to happen.

It hadn't gone beyond hand-holding, of course. But that wasn't what was important to Marinette, not at all.

 _I've spent a year of my life chasing Adrien,_ she thought. _This doesn't mean that I'm his girlfriend now, or that I ever will be. And in a weird way, I might even be okay with that, especially if tonight with Chat Noir goes like I think it might._

 _He'll always be my good friend,_ she thought, looking at his smiling face. _No matter what else happens, or whether this goes any further, and maybe it will! Only time will tell on that._

 _But I spent a year screaming in my head for Adrien to just notice me... as a girl, not as just a friend of his. Just to look at me, one time, and at least think 'maybe.' And today, that happened._

 _I don't think I'll ever be Just A Friend to him again... and that might be what I needed most of all._

They arrived at the front door, facing each other, big stupid smiles on both their faces.

"Why have we never done that before?" asked Marinette.

"I don't know," Adrien replied, grinning. "But I think I'd like to do that again."

Adrien's car pulled up, and she squeezed his hand warmly. "I had a wonderful time today, Adrien. Thanks for spending time with me."

"The pleasure was mine," he said. "Call me?"

"I will," she said, and this time actually knew that she would, without hesitating.

"There is one thing that we forgot to do..." Adrien said, suddenly.

"Dad's dessert box!" They laughed together, then headed to a nearby bench to investigate what was inside.

* * *

Adrien opened the box and saw rows of small pastries, dusted with powdered sugar.

"Ohhh, Dad!" marveled Marinette. "He made us choux à la crème!" She smiled at his raised eyebrow and explained, "Cream puffs, for those who aren't a baker's daughter. Sometimes he makes them big, sometimes bite-sized like this. Try one!"

They each bit into one, and Adrien's face transformed immediately. "Marinette, these are AMAZING!"

He heard his bodyguard honk the car horn, impatiently. "Give him one, too. It'll improve his mood tremendously, I promise," said Marinette.

"Tell your father that I'm thanking him VERY much. And that once my dad tastes one of these, he'll have me coming back to buy more all the time," he laughed. "Hey, you have your phone with you, right? I need a picture. Today was too perfect."

Marinette held up her phone and they took a selfie together. Then Adrien held up his, Marinette laid her head on his shoulder, and he snapped the second one.

Adrien almost didn't have the heart to move with Marinette snuggled close like that. He fought the urge hard to kiss her goodnight, but reasoned, _I'll save that for_ _later._ "See you soon?" he asked.

"You betcha."

* * *

Marinette watched him go with a wave and a smile, and thought to herself, _It's hard to imagine today getting any better than that._

Then she remembered that Chat Noir would be joining her later, with some kind of surprise up his sleeve for her, and that there was a pretty good chance that the kiss she'd been needing would arrive with lots of company.

 _Easy now, Marinette,_ she thought. _One perfect moment at a time._

She thought for a moment, then messaged her selfie with Adrien to Alya, knowing that it would rile her up unmercifully. She added a message:

 **[Marinette] He liked the teal. :)**

* * *

On the way home, Adrien's mind was whirling. He thought hard about the delightful afternoon he'd just had with Marinette, and how close he felt to her right now on a lot of levels. How amazing it was that in a few short hours he would be with her again, this time in a costume and mask and an identity that just might have her wanting even more.

"How was your picnic?" Nathalie asked from the passenger seat.

"Perfect," Adrien replied. "Couldn't have asked for better."

"Better what?"

"Better anything," he grinned.

Nathalie decided to let her curiosity stop there, and went back to her usual demeanor. She reminded him of the handful of things his father wanted him to do when he got home, and his fingers started aching in anticipation of more Rachmaninoff practice in his immediate future. A cream puff quieted her, but only briefly. It did, however, do exactly what Marinette had said it would do for his bodyguard.

Adrien looked down at the selfie the two had taken a few moments before, Marinette's head resting on his shoulder, the blissful smile on her face. _I don't care if he laughs any more,_ he thought.

Very gently, very lightly, when no one was looking, Adrien Agreste kissed his phone.

* * *

Next time:

* Chat and Marinette hit the town. Hope it doesn't hit back!

* Does someone seem... missing from this story so far? Perhaps they should make an appearance.

* Alya gets her details. As many as she can, anyway...


	5. Grinnings and Beginnings

The Marinette Project, Chapter 5: Grinnings and Beginnings

* * *

"Get the rope!" yelled Tom Dupain as his daughter re-entered the family bakery, all aglow. "We're going to have to pull Marinette down from the ceiling!"

"My feet are right here," Marinette giggled, tapping the floor with one sandaled foot. "My mind is... somewhere else."

"So lunch went very well, obviously?" Tom asked.

"Wonderfully! We went to Josephine's **,** we took that over to the park, we talked for hours, we walked through the park together, _he held my hand!_ " she beamed. "It was what I've been dying for from Adrien for months and months and all of a sudden it just felt so NATURAL today."

"That's great, honey! You couldn't look happier and I'm proud of you," her father said, giving her a quick hug. "I know how nervous you've been around him, but when you two left I couldn't tell who was crushing on whom."

"I don't know about him crushing on me," Marinette said, looking away, trying not to imagine it too intently. "I should be so lucky... But I kept myself from babbling at him for once in my life, and everything went perfectly! And... he _adored_ your cream puffs," she added with a smile.

"See? He's a smart boy. He knows adorable girls and delicious pastries. I like him already," Tom grinned. "Now how are you going to decide between him and your _chaton?"_

"Um..." That actually did bring her one notch closer to earth.

"Well, let me put it this way," she tried to explain. "I feel as close to Adrien as I have ever been; he was SO sweet and SO cute and SO happy to BE WITH ME today!" She let her rolling boil get back down to a steady simmer.

" ...But after months and months of being just a friend, I'm trying not to read too much into one day. Even one perfect day."

She paused, thinking how to phrase the rest. "With Chat Noir... I just feel like something has been building for a long time and neither one of us was ready to admit it. And then it just... clicked and now I can't get him out of my mind, and it seems like it's mutual. He has this soft, romantic side to him that only I get to see and I'm just... ohhhhhhh!"

Marinette looked at her father, pleadingly. "I was in love with someone who only loved me as a friend. Now I'm falling for someone who I think is falling just as hard for me. Does that make sense?"

"I think so," said Tom. "And if he's as sincere as he seemed the other night, you and Chat would be an amazing couple. But I'll just say, your Adrien has noticed you. Be gentle with him."

"I know," Marinette replied. "Adrien means the world to me. And Mom gave me the same kind of advice, and she was right, too. I would never want to hurt either of them."

"That's my smart girl," smiled Tom.

* * *

As Marinette had expected, her phone was exploding with texts from Alya responding to her selfie with Adrien. "I'll be upstairs, Dad. The gossip network needs feeding," she grinned.

 **[Alya]** **He liked a lot more than the teal! Look at those smiles on your faces!**

 **[Alya] Romance in the park! I'm so proud of you! He couldn't resist holding your hand, right?**

Marinette raised an eyebrow as she started texting back.

 **[Marinette] How in the WORLD do you know about the park?**

 **[Alya] I have eyes all over this city, girl. There is no escaping me.**

 **[Marinette] Well, I guess you can get details from your spy network, then... :)**

 **[Alya] Okay! Alix was rollerblading in the park and she saw you two looking adorable together.**

Marinette grinned at that. **[Marinette] We were adorable, weren't we?**

That was all Alya could take, as Marinette's phone started ringing immediately.

"Marinette, I am so PROUD of you! Holy crap! That had to be the high point of your year. Talk to me!" she bubbled.

Marinette explained the basics - she'd messaged him, he'd asked her to lunch, the park was his idea, the walk was his idea, holding hands just... happened, he'd asked her if she was seeing anyone, WHY DID HE ASK ME IF I WAS SEEING ANYONE?, the big goofy grins they both had when they got back.

Alya whistled, appreciatively. "I keep telling you, a confident Marinette would blow that boy's mind. You are one kiss away from him being putty in your hands."

"Except my hands would be putty too. Melted putty. One big Marinette putty puddle," she giggled.

"You are SO CLOSE," Alya said, in a serious voice. "I can see that in his eyes, even in a phone picture. You mentioned an evening date - are you sealing the deal then?"

"I... might be..." Marinette said, quietly. "But not with Adrien."

* * *

Marinette didn't have to be in the same room as her phone to hear Alya's shouted "WHAAAAAAAAAAT?" She suspected that people heard it in Australia.

"How... what... WHO?" she sputtered.

"I can't tell you who right now, Alya," Marinette said. "I can say that he's our age, he is sweet and caring and handsome, he is the last guy you would expect. He is the last guy _I_ expected. It's happening fast. But we're going out tonight together, and if it goes like our last date did, we may get serious fast."

"And it's NOT Adrien," Alya repeated.

"It's not."

"HOW is it not Adrien?" Alya said, with growing disbelief.

 _Because for you to understand,_ thought Marinette, _I'd have to tell you every secret that I have. That I am Ladybug. That Chat Noir fell in love with the girl behind her mask, and he told me so to my face. That one gentle kiss on the hand woke up something in me that I can't put back to sleep. That I'm learning how to flirt, and Chat can be the sweetest and most sensitive guy on Earth when he wants to be. That my heart belongs to him tonight, if he wants it. And I'm pretty sure he does._

"It's... complicated, Alya," she said quietly. "I promise that I know what I'm doing." _I think._ "I haven't ruled Adrien OUT yet, either. Tonight might not go like I think it will, and if it doesn't, Adrien could have me forever with just one kiss." She sighed. "But this other guy earned his place at the front of the line."

"You do realize, of course, that you are breaking my brain right now," exclaimed Alya. "I spent all year with you figuring out how to get the only guy you've ever wanted. Now you might just have him... and someone you've never talked about before's jumping in out of nowhere?"

"It's not out of nowhere. It really is complicated. I'm sorry that I can't say more yet and I KNOW that you're confused. But I promise that I'll keep you as much in the loop as I can. Lunch tomorrow? I can either tell you about my new boyfriend or we can plot out how to wreck Adrien's mind some more."

"THAT's a date," Alya assured her.

* * *

Marinette did her best attempt at a graceful pirouette across her room, then collapsed onto her bed in a giggling heap instead. "Tikki, that was AMAZING!" she cried out.

Tikki popped out of Marinette's purse and nuzzled her cheek. "It was! You two are absolutely adorable together! And it's about time he noticed that."

"Even _I_ could see Adrien noticed this time. And it feels so..." Marinette searched for words. "...perfect and natural and giggly and maybe the _worst_ possible timing in the universe."

She sobered up for a moment. "Tikki, be honest with me. I'm going into this date with Chat Noir tonight expecting a lot of things. Maybe too many. Am I getting too excited about that?"

"And... am I writing Adrien off too soon? Dad thinks there's something there. Alya thinks so, too. What do you think?"

Tikki pondered how best to approach this. _Either way she goes with this, she's got Adrien in the palm of her hand. Do I steer her to what I think is best for her or to what she really wants right now?_

"I can't speak for Chat, of course," she began. "Though I have... my ways of finding out things," she giggled.

"That wouldn't be why you mysteriously flew off in the park today, would it?" asked Marinette.

"Can't tell you that," Tikki said with an evasive smile. "Let's just call it a secret mission for me. Anyway... I really do think Chat is as smitten with you as you are with him. You definitely have his full attention. If you're looking for romance tonight, I think you'll get it. That is, if either of you can stop blushing long enough to ask for some."

Marinette gave that last part a _Yeah, I know, darn it_ face.

"I'm willing to bet that Chat is more innocent than you might think at these kinds of things," Tikki continued. "Though he seems to be a quick learner! So take it slow and talk out what you're both looking for and I'll bet they'll match up well."

"...and as for Adrien?" Marinette asked.

"Well, I can't speak for him either, but I know what I saw today! Adrien didn't see you quite the same way he's seen you all along. You really opened his eyes, Marinette. You might just be the first girl that's ever broken through his shell that way."

"You think so?" said Marinette, wide-eyed.

"Like you said, I don't want you to read too much from one day. But if you wanted his blinders off about 'she's just a friend'... I think they're off for now."

"Wow." Marinette sat on the edge of her bed, a bit stunned. "Now I _really_ don't know what to do."

Tikki grinned at her. _You're going to lock lips with Adrien before you know it, is what you'll do. It just depends whether or not he's wearing cat ears when you do it._

"Start with what you know. You have a date with Chat Noir tonight, he loves you as Ladybug, he loves the Marinette he sees in Ladybug. It's pretty clear that he's falling hard for the real you, too, and he's got all your engines revving up. Right?"

"Y-yeah," Marinette grinned.

"So go out with him tonight and do and say what feels right to you. If we're right about how he feels about you, with spots and without, it'll all be crystal clear soon enough! And if going out with Adrien Agreste is your BACKUP plan, you're one lucky girl, Marinette," laughed Tikki.

"I've got the best Kwami friend in the world, Tikki, I'm already lucky," Marinette smiled. "Thank you."

"A friend who's even got a good idea for dinner tonight! I figure that you two will want to be somewhere private together, instead of people in a restaurant going 'hey, look, it's Chat Noir and his girlfriend,' right?" added Tikki.

"That does sound good," replied Marinette. "What do you suggest we do?"

Tikki floated over and whispered something in Marinette's ear. As Tikki spoke, Marinette's face lit up. "That is PERFECT, Tikki! And I have just enough time to get it ready..."

* * *

Adrien contained most of his excitement until he got back to his room, at which point he did his best impression of a bouncing superball. "Plagg, I have to ask. How did it take me almost a YEAR to see what a treasure Marinette is?"

Plagg simply said, "Spots?"

Adrien sagged, smiling. "Yeah. But she's been right there next to me all year! I knew there were so many things I liked about her, but..."

"Spots," Plagg grinned. "Not that I can blame you much on that. Plus, you knew she had a guy she was crushing on, so you weren't all 'Unattached girl, time to dive on her!' But mostly spots."

"Who do you think it was? Or is?" Adrien asked. "It's someone in our school, from what I made her admit the other night. But a lot of our classmates are taken."

 _He STILL has no idea!_ cackled Plagg to himself. "Well, it was someone close to her, and I'll bet she got all nervous a lot of times that she talked to him. You know, how people with crushes act. Did you see any of that this year?"

"Hmmmm. Not... especially? I didn't notice her more nervous around any of my classmates than usual."

"Uh-huh. I'll let you think about it," laughed Plagg. "What's on the agenda for the Big Date?"

"I have something in mind for this evening that should be romantic for us to do. Dinner, I still can't decide and I'm running out of time."

"Maybe ask her beforehand what she'd like to have?" suggested Plagg. "I know dates are traditionally a guy thing to plan, but this way you have a better shot of getting it right."

"Yeah, that makes sense," Adrien said, reaching for his Chat-phone.

Plagg pointed to the phone. "Hey, Adrien?"

"Don't you EVEN say it," glared Adrien, smiling.

* * *

Tom and Sabine watched their daughter run around their house, organizing things frantically. "What's she up to?" Tom asked.

"I think someone had a good idea for a romantic balcony rendezvous tonight," smiled Sabine. "I hope her kitten knows just what he's getting into with her."

"He'd better take his vitamins," agreed Tom. "Hey, Marinette?" he called out, catching her in mid-dash.

"Yes, Dad?" she said, coming in to meet them.

"Before you completely remodel the balcony... should you check with your _chaton_ to make sure he doesn't have something big already planned? I'd hate to see either of you do a lot of work and then find out your plans don't match."

"Actually... that's a really good point! I'll message him now," Marinette said, pulling out her phone and dashing upstairs. "Thank you, Dad!"

* * *

Two sets of fingers typed busily, and two messages popped up simultaneously:

 **[Marinette] Hi, sweetie! I can't wait for tonight.**

 **[Chat Noir] Hello, Princess. How's your day going?**

Both got a chuckle out of the timing. _Great minds think alike,_ thought Marinette. She beat Chat to the first response.

 **[Marinette] Wonderful so far. I wanted to ask you about dinner...**

 **[Chat Noir] Actually, I was just IMing you to ask you about that. I wanted to make sure it was something you're comfortable with.**

 **[Chat Noir] And where, too. Depends on how public we want to be with this.**

 **[Marinette] Mmmm... I've always wanted to have a "this."**

 **[Chat Noir] I'll trade you a "this" for a "kiss," then.**

Marinette thought, _I bet you would,_ with a little thrill.

 **[Marinette] Someone sweet gave me a great one of those the other night. I'm keeping it.**

 **[Chat Noir] There are plenty more where that one came from...**

 **[Marinette] I think I have a pile of my own lying around, too. Maybe work out a trade later?**

"Someone IS a little flirt!" came a voice from over Marinette's shoulder.

"Oh, hush, Tikki," blushed Marinette. "It's fun! And it's a lot easier to type that kind of thing than say it up close."

"Not knocking it at all," Tikki said. "Please continue."

 **[Marinette] Anyway, as far as dinner goes... did you have somewhere specific in mind? Because I was thinking,**

 **[Marinette] If you can bring over something we'd like, dinner for two at my place could be nice and cozy.**

 **[Marinette] And then go out and do whatever you have in mind for us around town?**

 _That WOULD work well,_ Adrien thought. _And a lot more romantic than dealing with rubberneckers at a restaurant._

 **[Chat Noir] I like the way you think. Do you like Italian?**

 **[Marinette] Love it.**

 **[Chat Noir] I'm not far from Ristorante Al Caratello, and I can vouch that they're delicious.**

 **[Chat Noir] What would you like tonight from there?**

 **[Marinette] Surprise me! I love lasagna, I can always do pizza, doesn't have to be anything fancy.**

 **[Marinette] Who's bringing it is more important to me than what, Kitty.**

 **[Chat Noir] One of many reasons that you're special to me, Princess. See you at seven?**

 **[Marinette] You know it.**

"Yes!" Marinette squealed. "I love it when a plan comes together! Now I just have to get everything ready... and pick out another outfit..."

"And find that pile of kisses you left lying around..." grinned Tikki.

"I don't know where they've been, but I think I know where they're going," she purred.

* * *

Just before seven, Chat Noir arrived at the Dupain-Cheng residence, loaded down with restaurant boxes. _Not the easiest things to hop across town with!_ he thought. _I hope the lasagna isn't all over the place_. As he entered the bakery on the ground floor, Tom and Sabine met him and greeted him warmly.

"Marinette's upstairs on her balcony, she's waiting for you there," smiled Sabine.

"You're more than welcome to go up through the house. The hatch goes up through Marinette's room, top of the stairs, to the left," Tom said. "I can walk you up if you like."

"Sounds good to me. Mr. Dupain, Mrs. Cheng, I brought you two a little something from the restaurant, too, to say thank you for dinner the other night. I'm sure it can't compare to the amazing desserts you make here... but I hope you'll enjoy it just the same," said Chat, handing them one of the white boxes he carried.

"Thank you, young man!" Tom seemed genuinely surprised. He opened it and saw an assortment of tiramisu and cannoli inside. "I knew I liked you."

"And for good reason," said Sabine, grinning. "Come with me, Chat, I'll be your hostess tonight. Your table is ready."

She led Chat up through the house, into Marinette's room and to the hatch to the balcony. As Sabine stepped through, Chat heard her catch her breath and say "Oh, wow!"

Once off the ladder, Sabine reached down to lift Chat's boxes up so that he could climb more easily, then climbed down herself. She gave Chat a light squeeze, catching him a little off guard, and said "Do enjoy dinner, Chat," with a big smile.

Chat climbed the ladder up to the balcony...

* * *

...and saw a scene very familiar to him. Candles were lit around the edge of the balcony in all directions, flower petals were scattered about, and soft music was playing from somewhere nearby. A table with two chairs was set up in the middle, with a white tablecloth and a lit candle at its center. Marinette sat in one of the chairs, in a baby blue sundress, facing Chat Noir with bright bluebell eyes shining at him.

"Care to join me, Chat?" Marinette asked, gently, with a nervous quiver in her voice.

* * *

For a moment, Chat simply couldn't move, taking it all in. "Marinette, this is... You didn't have to..." he managed.

"I absolutely did," she replied. "Chat, can I tell you why?"

He sat across from her and nodded, his green cat eyes huge with wonder.

"Chat, um... I... Oh, let me start over. For some reason I'm a little nervous tonight," she said, grinning shyly, "but I'm going to get this out if it kills me..."

"I know you recognize what I set up here," she said. "The first night you ever visited me here, this was the romantic surprise you had made up for Ladybug. You came to see me when that didn't work out, and you made me melt so much the other night when you told me why you picked me to visit and talk to."

"I felt so bad for you that night. Then you saw that I was hurting, too, and you put your own hurt on hold and brought me to see your surprise to cheer me up. And that was the night I learned just how wonderful you really are, Kitty. You've had a piece of my heart ever since, even if it took me a long time to realize it. And then you kept coming back again and again to visit me to make sure that you got the rest."

"So I thought to myself, you'd worked so hard that night, then you were so good to me, and so dear to me all those times since... I wanted to give you what you needed that night - a candlelight dinner for two with someone who thinks the world of you."

If Adrien Agreste had the slightest doubts that he was a young man in love with Marinette Dupain-Cheng, they all ended in that heartbeat.

* * *

Chat Noir had no words in him that could come close to what he wanted to say. The look of adoration on his face did its best to deliver his message instead. He could see Marinette on pins and needles across from him, having somehow found the courage to speak her heart to him and waiting to hear the consequences.

Chat got up from his chair, moved next to Marinette and knelt down beside her. She saw his eyes watering through his mask, and held her breath.

"Marinette?" he whispered. He took her hand and put it to his chest. She could feel his heart pounding through the costume.

"No one else has ever made me feel this way before. No one," Chat whispered to her. "You have me so emotional right now. This is absolutely perfect."

She lunged forward and wrapped her arms around him, and he around her. They both held on tightly, riding out the wave.

* * *

At the point of no return, when Chat felt like he had to either break the tension or start crying, he whispered, "And our lasagna's getting cold."

That got both of them laughing. "Well, we can't have that," Marinette smiled, wiping her own eyes.

The pair unloaded Chat's take-out boxes; lasagna for two, garlic knots, salads, all the trimmings. "This is really good, Chat," Marinette smiled. "We'll have to go there together sometime."

"I'd like that, a lot," replied Chat. "Though if things are... beginning here tonight like I hope they're beginning..."

The look in Marinette's eyes screamed out _Please let them be?_

"...We ought to talk about a couple of things and make sure that we do this right. Like, for one, how comfortable will you be being in the public eye with me?" Chat asked. "I don't mean 'let's make all the headlines together.' I'm not that kind of guy and you know it. And you know how safe I'll make sure you and your family are. But the mask does carry some things with it - cameras, reporters, craziness. Something to consider."

"I have. And I'm still here," she smiled.

"Good. I really don't want to hide you away from the world. People need to see those bright eyes of yours," Chat murred. Marinette turned a bit red, but just smiled.

"Next question," Chat asked, with his eyes dancing. "Ever seen Lady and the Tramp?" Chat picked up a long noodle and put one end in his mouth, with a grin.

"One of my favorite Disney movies," purred Marinette. She put the other end in her mouth, and their lips got closer and closer as they slurped it down...

...until Marinette bit through her end just before contact, leaving Chat with big eyes and two inches of noodle on his chin.

"I walked right into that one," he laughed, as Marinette collapsed into giggles.

"All in good time, Kitty," she winked. _I_ _may want it as much as you do, but if you make it that easy to mess with your head, that's my job, you adorable goober._ She added, "I have a couple of things of my own to talk about, but let's enjoy tonight and not rush them out all at once. We have all night."

"We certainly do. Are you ready for a little sightseeing?" Chat asked, with a big grin.

"I'm all yours," replied Marinette.

* * *

Marinette put her arm around Chat and held on tight, and they hopped away across the rooftops towards the west side of Paris. They landed near the Bois de Boulogne, a large recreation area with woods, lakes, and a wide variety of activities available.

"A little fresh air, I see. What do you have in mind, Chat?" asked Marinette.

"What do you think of punting?" he asked.

"I wouldn't know. I've never punted."

Chat led her to a long, narrow boat at the edge of one of the lakes. "After you, Princess?"

She put on a life jacket for safety, then took a seat in the boat. Chat stood facing her at the end of the boat, picked up a very long pole from within it, and pushed off to send the boat gently out onto the water. "Just sit back and enjoy. This ride's on me."

Chat eased the boat out into the middle of the lake, steering with the pole, as the waters were shallow enough to allow for that. The lights from the buildings along the shore reflected off the water, as did the stars.

 _It really is a pretty view out here_ , Marinette thought. _And so is my navigator._

"This is so relaxing, Chat. Thank you so much for bringing me. Have you done this before?" she asked.

"Never, replied Chat, "though it's been on my mind for a while as something fun and romantic to try. I just needed the right companion to join me."

"Awww," she cooed. "I bet you say that to all the girls that are swooning over you."

"Just the ones who leave noodles on my face," Chat laughed.

"That only narrows it down to, what, ten or twelve?" said Marinette, impishly.

"Nope. I'm a one-noodle-woman man at heart," he grinned. "I feel like I should be serenading you. _O sole miooooo..._ "

Marinette made a face. "Hey, can you hold off on that for just a second? I need to check something."

"What's that?" Chat asked, looking confused.

She reached over the side of the boat. "Whether the water is warm enough for me to swim for it."

* * *

As they reached the center of the lake, Marinette motioned for him to come sit by her, which he did. "Tell me one of those things on your mind," Chat said.

"Well..." Marinette paused, debating how to phrase things. "I'd like to talk about Ladybug for a minute."

"Sure," said Chat, his voice remaining even. "What would you like to know?"

"I know you well enough to know you have a very special bond with Ladybug, Chat. She's your partner, she's your friend, when she calls you come running. And I wanted to make sure you knew that if we do become a real couple, I don't want any of that to change because of me," she said. "I wouldn't feel threatened by that at all."

"I'm very glad to hear that, though I didn't think you would be," replied Chat, thoughtfully.

"But I also know that you had very deep feelings for Ladybug. Romantic feelings. And there's nothing wrong with that, either. But I wouldn't be a... substitute for her, would I?"

* * *

Chat took Marinette's hands in his and met her gaze. "Absolutely not, Marinette. You are completely unique and amazing all on your own."

He took a deep breath and continued. "Of course you're right that I do have a... bond with her. She's the best super-partner I could ever ask for, and she's a great friend, and we do have responsibilities together. And that ties into one of the things I wanted to talk about with you, which is that my life IS crazy..."

"I am going to get called away at weird times to fight forty-foot lobsters or giant babies or some guy in a pigeon suit. Having our phone connection will help a LOT, because we can keep in touch when I'm not in costume, but we'll be stealing moments like this when we can. And that won't be easy on us, and I wanted to make sure you were okay with that going in."

Marinette nodded, understandingly.

"Ladybug is... very special to me. But she's not my girlfriend, and I've accepted that. Her heart belongs to someone else, and I've accepted _that_. It doesn't make me think any less of her, but it means that I had to turn that page in my head and see what came next. And what came next was realizing that I had this incredible girl next to me the whole time."

"Parts of you remind me of her... a lot. I won't lie about that, and they're all very good parts, if that helps... but you're not Ladybug, Marinette. I wouldn't want you to pretend to be her, because you'll never have to be her. I've fallen for YOU exactly the way you are and I wouldn't change a thing. You're beautiful to me. And YOU'RE the one that I'm wanting."

If Marinette Dupain-Cheng had any doubts about the handsome superhero inches away from her, they floated away like dandelion seeds in the wind.

* * *

Floating freely, however, was not how one would describe one of the other punting boats being tethered onto the dock. A father, mother and two children were on board, one of whom was not happy with the situation.

"It's not FAIR!" yelled the youngest. "We were having fun out there!"

"Julien, it's after eight o'clock. They close at eight o'clock. We can come back next weekend!" his mother tried to explain.

"But THEY'RE still out there!" he cried out, pointing at the distant shape of a boat far out on the lake.

"That is... well, I cannot really say who that is. But it's someone very special and his friend. I am so sorry, young man," said the dockmaster.

Julien put on a kicking display that could've gotten him at least a green belt in a dojo. His father dragged him off, angrily telling him, "If you're going to throw a tantrum, we can just go home and NOT come back."

"IT'S NOT FAIR! I STILL WANNA PLAY!" howled Julien. His sister Melissa let out an annoyed huff and went back to her cell phone _. I wonder if I can put him on eBay_? she thought.

* * *

A familiar observation window opened slowly, filling a dark room with moonlight. A dark figure stood within, holding a staff and surrounded by fluttering white butterflies.

"Anger. Unfairness. A temper tantrum. Not my favorite choice of targets, but sometimes I must work with opportunities as they arrive..."

He concentrated on a butterfly in his hands, covering it in a malignant purple energy. "GO, my little Akuma... And EVILIZE him!"

The Akuma floated off into the evening sky.

* * *

 _YOU'RE the one that I'm wanting_ echoed like a choir of angels in Marinette's brain.

She didn't know how she got there, but somehow she moved closer into Chat's embrace in an instant. It was like when she was on autopilot the night of the goodnight kiss, but this time in more of a wonderful dream state than a haze.

"Chat... is this really happening?" Marinette whispered.

"I wondered if I was dreaming, too," breathed Chat. "But you're really here."

She inched a little closer still. "If I'm really who you're wanting ..."

"You know you are..."

"I'm yours, Chat Noir."

 _I cannot believe this is happening,_ Marinette thought, as she saw the pure happiness on the face of Chat Noir.

 _I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING_ , she thought, as she leaned in for one perfect kiss.

A distant, floating flicker of purple over Chat's shoulder caught her attention.

 _NOW I believe it._

 _I am a kind and patient person by nature,_ Marinette thought. _I put up with a lot of things in order to make the world a better place. But I am going to hit Hawkmoth in the mouth with a shovel for this._

* * *

Chat Noir was spellbound as well. The girl of his dreams was right in front of him, alone with him.

She was moving closer... she was speaking softly to him... she was saying she was his... she was leaning in for a kiss...

...she was freezing in place, her jaw dropping, then slapping her forehead and closing her eyes.

"Wh-hat happened? Did I -" he stammered.

Marinette started laughing slightly, and silently pointed over his left shoulder. He followed her direction and saw an Akuma some distance away, flapping its way towards shore. "Of course that's there," she chuckled, grimly. "Of course it is."

"What was that I said about my life being crazy and dragging you into it?" Chat grimaced.

"And I meant what I said about being fine with that..." began Marinette.

Chat gave her a sincere smile. "Hold that thought, Princess. No villain's going to lay a finger on my girlfriend."

The phrase in the air - _my girlfriend_ \- gave her a visible lift.

He clicked a button on his communicator and called, "Ladybug? We have an Akuma sighting at Bois de Boulogne. Get in touch with me as soon as you can."

 _How am I going to transform to Ladybug, when I'm sitting right in front of Chat Noir... in a boat in the middle of a LAKE?_ worried Marinette.

"Okay, I'm thinking..." Chat muttered. "Two things. One, I need to get you back to shore as fast as I can. I don't think I can jump that far with you in one leap, and you look waaaaay too good in that sundress for me to let you get all wet," he grinned. "It brings out your eyes perfectly."

"I would appreciate that, yes," she smiled. "And thank you for noticing."

"And two..."

Chat Noir leaned forward, took Marinette in his arms again, and kissed her as tenderly as he could.

* * *

Julien resisted his mother's efforts to get him into his car seat. Abruptly, he broke free and made a run for it, only to stop dead in his tracks when a purple butterfly touched a rubber ball in his pocket. A strange adult voice filled his head as an energy signature flared before his eyes.

"Ricochet! I am Hawkmoth. Your parents are... being mean to you. You're a little ball of energy. You just want to run and play and float on a boat and they won't LET you, will they? And OTHER people get to play, and that's not fair! Find Ladybug and Chat Noir for me, take their Miraculouses and give them to me, and I will give you the power to play as long as you want."

"Cool!" Julien said, and the purple energy consumed him...

* * *

Marinette's world contracted around her until nothing existed except her Chat, her arms around him, and his lips finally against hers. For perhaps ten seconds, the world was a perfect and incorruptible place.

They came up for air with the biggest grins on their faces.

"I couldn't wait another second without that," said Chat, glowing.

"There will SO be more of that," she whispered. Behind them, she heard chaos from the parking lot and a distinct "HeeeeeheeeeeheeeeeHEEEEE!" laugh coming from amidst it.

"But you've got a job to do," she smiled, "so YOU hold that thought. Get me on land and go get 'em, Kitty."

She took the punting pole from Chat, he extended his baton to an equal length, and they pushed off together towards the closest shore.

* * *

Coming soon:

* THRILL! As Ladybug - remember Ladybug? I hear that this is a story about Ladybug. - manages to wait until Chapter 6 to finally make a costumed appearance in the story!

* CHILL! As a diabolical rubber ball with legs tries to knock her and Chat's Miraculouses loose!

* SPILL! his guts about how he's feeling and what's happening with Marinette, is what Chat just might do with our scarlet-and-black heroine!

* WILL! Marinette survive having The Talk with her mother, now that she has her new boyfriend at last?

* GRILL! is what Alya plans to do to Marinette at lunch, to get every last detail she can about Marinette's mystery man!

* TILL next time...


	6. Do We HAVE To Read The Kissing Parts?

The Marinette Project, Chapter 6: Do We HAVE To Read The Kissing Parts?

* * *

Marinette and Chat Noir shoved off with their respective punting poles, propelling their boat towards land as quickly as they could. Crashing noises, screams and diabolical laughter in the distance emphasized the need for speed.

"Does Hawkmoth just not like me, or something?" Marinette asked, somewhat rhetorically. "Sometimes it seems like Akumas are fruit flies and I'm a ripe banana."

"Well, you _are_ the sweetest thing in Paris... No wonder you attract them," grinned Chat.

"Flattery will get you... well, right where we were a minute ago." Marinette batted her eyes at him. "So keep it up."

"We're getting close to shore. Once we get there, let's get you out of harm's way." Chat pointed to a sturdy building nearby. "That looks like a pretty good hiding place."

Abruptly, the giggling laughter started getting louder. Marinette pointed in its direction and cried out, "I think we've got a bigger problem. CHAAAAAAAAAAT!"

Something was flying straight at them at high speed. Something big, round, and laughing loudly, headed right at their boat...

"HOLD ON TIGHT!" Chat yelled. Marinette threw her arms around him, and he launched himself and her out of the boat with a mighty leap, just before the giggling sphere smashed into it!

* * *

The pair landed at the edge of the water, splashing them a bit but leaving them otherwise none the worse for wear.

"What the heck is HE supposed to be?" exclaimed Marinette, staring at the bouncing brute. "It looks like someone overinflated the Michelin Man and painted him pink."

"Whatever it is, it is DEAD!"

Chat readied his baton and prepared to leap with a snarl, only to be stopped by Marinette's hand. "Hey, Kitty? Easy, sweetie, I'm fine."

"It put you in danger," growled Chat.

"He... not it... is a victim. Just like all the other Akuma victims," Marinette reminded him. "I know you better than that."

Chat paused for a moment, then smiled warmly at Marinette. "Of course you're right... Just lost my temper there for a moment. I can't IMAGINE what would make me so protective of you, all of a sudden."

"My gallant knight," she said, then kissed his cheek. "It's okay. Go be the hero I know you are. I'll head for cover over there, where you were showing me, and if I see Ladybug coming I'll point her your way. Good luck, Kitty."

* * *

Marinette headed around the corner of the building, while Chat tracked down the bouncing villain, who had skipped across the lake like a stone and was readying for another pass.

As she got out of visual range, Tikki exclaimed, "Wow! Don't mess with Chat Noir's girlfriend!"

"I'll try not to," Marinette quipped. "But I'm in the mood for a little revenge myself. Not only did that villain interrupt my first kiss, he got my dress wet!"

Tikki laughed, then Marinette called out, "Tikki... SPOTS ON!"

* * *

Chat Noir ducked and dodged frantically. _I've really got my hands full with this one,_ he thought. The villain might look soft and squishy, but that was a facade; he was big and fast and bounced off of anything solid he could reach at high speed. He'd been hit twice so far and nearly knocked silly; a direct hit could be disastrous.

"HEEHEEEEEHEEEEEE!" cackled the rubbery menace, hurtling over Chat's head as Chat ducked.

"Not much for conversation, are you?" Chat needled, but with a grimace. _That one nearly got me._

Chat followed his path, trying to calculate the angles. Ricochet bounced off a tree, off a wall, off another wall - and straight at Chat!

 _Can't dodge in time - oh crap -_

"Yoink!" called a familiar voice, as Chat felt himself yanked away quickly by a familiar yo-yo. It was a little jarring, but it certainly beat the alternative.

"Need a little help, Chat Noir?" asked Ladybug, with a big grin.

"Oh... all I can get..." Chat panted. "Watch yourself. Rubber boy here bounces like a superball and hits like a truck."

"Yeah, I saw what he did to the cars in the parking lot," she answered. "Not a pretty sight. You've been dancing with him; got any ideas?"

"I don't see anything obvious on him that the Akuma could be hiding in," said Chat, back on his feet. "So either we have to knock something loose, or it's in a pocket or something."

"MOVE!" yelled Ladybug. They jumped in opposite directions, Ricochet flying cleanly between them.

"Well, I'll try method number one. I was pretty good at stickball back in the day..." Chat extended his baton by a couple of feet and held it like a baseball bat.

"I don't know if that's a good idea..." worried Ladybug. "He's too big for you to - LOOK OUT!"

As Ricochet came at him again, Chat leapt aside and hit him with a full swing. "Gahhhh!" Chat yelled, as the baton rebounded from Ricochet's body and the recoil sent Chat spinning away, landing in a heap several feet away.

"HEEEEEEHEEEHEEEEEEHEEEE!" the bouncing brute giggled, hopping up and down to build momentum. An energy signature popped up on his face.

"Ricochet, these people don't want to let you play! Bounce them as hard as you can, and knock their jewelry off! Then you can have some REAL fun," declared Hawkmoth.

"Chatty villain, isn't he?" said Ladybug. Chat just grunted, trying to make his teeth stop chattering.

* * *

"Okay, I guess we can't beat him up, so maybe I can contain him?" Ladybug threw her yo-yo with a twist, looping it around Ricochet and wrapping him up as tightly as she could.

Ricochet just grinned and bounced harder. "HEEEHEEEEEHEEEEEHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" he giggled, leaping into the air and taking Ladybug and her yo-yo with him!

"Yaaaaaaaaah!" she yelled, suddenly going for a wild ride and hanging on for dear life. She clung to her line as she hit the ground hard several times, twisting hard to try to avoid a parked truck in her path. "This - was not - my best - IDEA!" she groaned.

Ricochet hit a wall squarely and rebounded straight back, straight at Ladybug!

THWAM! She went flying high into the air, spinning towards the docks. A black blur came running and caught her, but just barely.

"Wuuuuaagh," Ladybug whimpered. "Thank you, Chat. Got a Plan C?"

"Well, for one... the more he bounces, the harder he hits. So let's lure him away from buildings and trees and cars..."

"...And towards the lake! Good thinking!" replied Ladybug. She regained her feet and cleared her head. "Let's see what else we have in store for him... LUCKY CHARM!"

The yo-yo's energy coalesced over her head and formed into...

"...A fire axe?" Ladybug boggled.

"And Marinette was worried I'D be too violent," muttered Chat.

* * *

Ladybug closed her eyes halfway and searched the area with LuckyVision. Her partner flashed, then the axe, then a beach volleyball court about a hundred yards away. "I think I've got this one, Kittycat. Come on!" she said, leading him towards the sandy play area.

"Good thing these poles are wood, not metal. Show me your lumberjack impression, Chat?" asked Ladybug.

"I gotcha, Bugaboo." He hacked away at one side, then the other, until the net and top of each pole were cut free. "Are we making him a hammock?"

"Kind of. Let's get him near the water."

Ricochet's laugh announced his approach, as he caught up with the pair. They dodged as best they could while each holding one of the poles, trying to get him closer to the water. At the edge, they huddled together.

Chat muttered, "Ready?"

"This is it..." Ladybug whispered.

Ricochet bounced backwards, then rebounded directly at the heroes. "NOW!" they yelled together, and leapt apart with the net stretched between them. He flew into it, taking it into the lake with him, as they let go of the poles. One tiny arm and two tiny legs were stuck through some of the holes, and the tangle kept him disoriented as he floated on the water.

"Perfect! Let's see how much bouncing leverage he can get tied up in a lake. Shall we?"

Chat hopped over onto the fallen Ricochet, rummaging through his pockets. "Over to you, my l... partner!" he called, as he tossed a rubber ball to Ladybug.

 _"My Partner?"_ Ladybug gave him a funny look, but split the ball against the edge of the axe, releasing the Akuma.

* * *

"Bye-bye, little butterfly!" Ladybug bid farewell to the purified Akuma, as usual. "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!" followed, restoring the recreation areas to their original state.

Chat looked extremely anxious. "Okay! We got him. I've got to get over there and make sure..."

"Marinette is just fine, relax," Ladybug smiled. "I saw her on my way over here. She pointed out which way to go to find you. Not that a giant rubber boy is that hard to spot..."

She put her hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow at Chat. "So am I not Your Lady anymore?" she asked with a grin.

Instead of responding with a one-liner, Chat looked even more conflicted. "Ladybug, can... I talk to you for a minute?" he asked, quietly.

"Sure!" Ladybug was surprised a bit by his seriousness. She pointed to her earrings and said "I used Lucky Charm, so I've got five minutes. What's on your mind?"

"Ladybug, you mean so much to me. You're a friend and the best partner I could ask for, so I never want to lie to you..." Chat began.

"Likewise..." _Where is he going with this?_

"I wanted to be the one to tell you that I... have a girlfriend now. As of about twenty minutes ago, in fact," he said.

* * *

"Chat, that's wonderful!" squealed Ladybug, with a genuine smile. "You and Marinette will be a great couple."

Chat was taken off-guard. "You... know that it's Marinette?"

"Well, for one thing, she's HERE with you. See any other eligible lucky girls within a twenty-minute range?" she giggled. "For another, I ran into her the other day. You should've heard how she talked about you. Apparently, you have one heck of a goodnight kiss..."

"If I'd known a kiss on the hand was that powerful, I'd have tried it on you ages ago," Chat smiled.

"That's why this suit has gloves, for protection," she smirked, holding one hand up.

"But I'm kinda glad that I saved it for Marinette, I'll be honest. She's spun my whole world around."

Ladybug's eyes went big. "She has?"

"Yeah. For real," Chat said. "And before your clock expires, there are two things I need to tell you..."

"One is that Marinette told me that she likes you very much, and she knows she's not... competing against you for my attention," began Chat. "She knows you'll always be close to me and need me and she really doesn't want that to change."

"Oh, I could've guessed that," Ladybug blushed. "She's a sweetheart. What's the other thing?"

"I just wanted to say..." Chat stammered. "You know how I've felt about you. I'm still sincere about that. I just want to let you know that even if I'm dating someone else, you are still... very, very special to me. Not in a romantic way now; I won't keep trying to kiss you or sweep you off your feet. But I just... don't want you to feel hurt, or slighted, if I'm NOT doing that, or make you feel like you've been replaced."

He sighed. "Whoever your other boy is, I want you to be happy with him. And I really mean that. But you will always be my partner and my best friend, Ladybug. I don't want that to change, either."

* * *

Behind the mask, Marinette tried hard not to cry. She was mostly successful.

"Ch-hat..." Ladybug wiped her eyes with her hand. She heard her earrings beep, but she had to get this out. "You sweet, sweet boy. I'm the one who turned YOU down months ago, and you're apologizing to ME because you've found someone who loves you that way?"

"That's... one way you could put it... I guess," Chat said. "Not quite how I'd thought it out, but..."

Ladybug walked over and hugged Chat. "Silly kitty. The one thing I've always wanted for YOU is for you to be happy," she whispered in his ear. "She's perfect for you. She loves your sweet side, she can be as goofy as you are when she wants to be, and I know you've both felt lonely. I know you've been visiting her for months as friends, and it's wonderful that it's become something more."

Chat looked even more surprised. "You knew about THAT, too?"

"You're not the only one who goes out in the nighttime, Chat," she teased. Her earrings beeped again. "My timer's running out... wait here for a couple of minutes, I'll check on her for you."

"Can't we go over together?" Chat asked.

"Oh, I just want to talk to her for a minute. Girl talk. You know," she winked. She extended a fist in victory. "Pound it?"

"Absolutely," he said, completing the fist-bump. "And thank you. That means so much to me."

"We can talk more next time," Ladybug called, heading for cover. "Bug out!"

* * *

Ladybug reached the building in which she'd taken shelter previously, called "Spots off!", and made a beeline for the ladies' room.

"Are you sure this is your first boyfriend, Marinette? You handled that so perfectly," cooed Tikki.

"First and only," she replied, fixing her hair in the mirror and fussing over mussed makeup. "And after what he just said, maybe the only one I'll ever need." She wiped her eyes again. "His brand new girlfriend is waiting to kiss him senseless, and his first thought is to make sure his partner's feelings won't be hurt! Can you believe it? That boy is an angel in disguise."

"Senseless, huh?" grinned Tikki.

"That's the part you heard out of all that I just said?" laughed Marinette. "Senseless."

"Oh, I'm not knocking it. I'll even try not to peek," Tikki giggled. "Much."

"You've been around humans for five thousand years, haven't you?" asked Marinette, raising an eyebrow. "I won't be doing anything you haven't seen a million times before."

"I don't know," whistled Tikki. "Sometimes the people who are new to love are the most creative..."

"You little scamp!" Marinette exclaimed, laughing loudly. She splashed a little water from the sink at Tikki, who dodged it with a huge fit of giggles.

* * *

Chat Noir waited as long as he was capable of waiting, then headed straight to the building where he had sent Marinette. He got as far as the lobby, where he found a beautiful young lady in a blue sundress saving a spot next to her on a couch.

"Well, hello," Marinette beamed. "Everything taken care of?"

"No more Akuma," confirmed Chat. "Ladybug checked on you?"

"Yes, she did. She was in a hurry, about to transform back, so she couldn't stay," said Marinette. "I hope I'll be adequate company instead..."

Chat sat down by her side. "A lot more than adequate. Adorable is more like it."

"I bet you say that to all your girlfriends," Marinette fluttered.

"I do! I do, indeed. All one of them," agreed Chat.

"I'd like to meet her someday," Marinette grinned. "She must have excellent taste in boys."

"I mean it, Marinette," he said, in a serious voice. "I know you're just teasing, but you do know that was my first real kiss back there, right?"

"And mine, too," replied Marinette, looking down shyly. "We must be awfully fast learners, because that was everything I'd hoped it would be."

"I bet there's still room for improvement," Chat said, sliding his arm around her. "Do you think we need more practice?"

"I really do," Marinette whispered, her eyes pleading, her smile sincere. "Please?"

Marinette's expression was the single most irresistible thing Chat Noir had ever seen... not that he had the slightest desire to resist it.

* * *

Some time later, Marinette was snuggled up in Chat's arms, eyes closed, simply cherishing the closeness.

"At some point, Princess, I am going to have to get you home," Chat whispered.

"I am home," she sighed.

"Your parents' home," he tried again. "The place where all your stuff is."

"Yeah... I'd miss them. And I do like my room there. ...Are you sure I can't just keep you there?"

"Even if my father didn't notice, I really think that your parents would," Chat smiled.

"Oh, they like you. They'd get used to it," giggled Marinette. "You do dishes, you bring cannoli, you make their daughter so happy, they'll adopt you in no time."

Chat closed his eyes and hugged her a little tighter.

"Chat?" Marinette asked, in a more serious voice. "Who can I tell about us?"

* * *

She sat up so she could face him. "I mean, my parents, definitely. That's what made me think of it. But I know my friend Alya will want every detail about my mystery date tomorrow and I don't know what to say to her. Or to my other friends. Or if I should say anything at all."

"I'm... not sure," Chat admitted. "I want to climb on top of the Eiffel Tower and tell all of Paris how crazy I am about you, but I don't want to put you or your family at risk. But it's not like you're telling anyone my secret identity..." He sat up, too. "I guess I can say, follow your instincts. I trust your judgment, Marinette."

"Okay... I'll give it more thought before anyone but my parents knowing." Marinette remained deep in thought, then came up with another question.

"Chat... speaking of that, how weird is this going to be for you when you're not in costume?"

"What do you mean?" Chat asked.

"We know each other pretty well. I know we do. You didn't say so but you also kind of told me the other night," said Marinette. "I don't have to know who's behind that mask... But are you going to be okay in your normal life, if you're around me and we're not, y'know, snuggly and kissy because I don't know that it's really you?"

 _Wow! I don't know that I'd thought that through all the way,_ thought Chat.

"It's not always going to be easy. For one thing, you are SO kissable..."

"Am I, now?" she flirted.

"Here, let me demonstrate..."

A moment later, Chat caught his breath. "But, yeah, I am going to want to do that all the time and I can't without blowing up my secret. But I _need_ to spend time with you in my regular life, too. You're too important to me not to be with you."

He sighed. "Or I could fix it all with two little magic words."

"No!" Marinette cried out. "I mean... don't do it just because you can. That's a REALLY BIG THING. If it ever happens, it has to be for a bigger reason than that."

"I know, I know. But if there's anyone in the world I could trust with it..." said Chat.

"It's going to be a little weird for me too, sweetie. I mean, now I'm guessing who you are in my head and trying to make myself stop that," Marinette added. "And then if someone I know starts acting strangely, my brain will start screaming 'Maybe it's him...'"

"Let's not overthink it too much right now," soothed Chat. "There will be little things like that to figure out, but this is going to work. It just _has_ to. I _need_ it to."

"Me too, Kitty."

* * *

A little while later, Chat Noir landed on Marinette's balcony, carrying the most precious cargo he could imagine. Marinette put her feet back on solid ground, but left her arms around his neck.

"Just imagine how insane we'd have thought all this is a week ago," she said. "And look at us now!"

"You've been in my heart for a long time, Marinette," replied Chat. "I just had to open my eyes and finally realize just how much."

"I know that feeling, Kitty," Marinette beamed. "Now, about that goodnight kiss..."

Chat reached up, peeled Marinette's right arm from around him, and planted a whisper-soft kiss on the back of her hand. He grinned, watching Marinette's eyes close and her body shiver. "Something like that still gets your full attention?"

"Still tingles, yeah," she agreed. "Like you wouldn't believe."

Marinette reached up and embraced him again, pulling him closer. "But what would you do if my hands aren't in front of you to kiss?"

"Hmmm! So many choices..." Chat leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "Maybe this?", then brushed his lips gently against Marinette's neck, just behind her ear. A loud gasp told him that it had the desired effect and then some.

"Should I remember that spot?" he teased. "Mmmmph!" came out next, as Marinette tackled him.

It was hard to say anything else while being kissed senseless.

* * *

Marinette climbed down into her room once she felt like her legs could handle a ladder again.

"Congratulations, Marinette!" Tikki whispered. "A wonderful beginning."

"Thank you!" she gushed. "I may not stop tingling until next week. If ever."

Marinette went downstairs to check in with her parents, who got everything they needed to know just from the look on her face.

"Someone's got a boyfrieeeeeend!" teased her father in a singsong voice.

"Oh, Marinette! Come here!" Sabine opened her arms for a hug, which Marinette ran over to give her. "I am so happy for you two! As soon as I saw your balcony surprise for him, I knew it was going to happen! That was SO romantic of you."

Her parents asked her all about how the evening went. She described everything she could, right up to the points whose recounting would've turned her crimson and that they really didn't want to hear in detail anyway.

"I'll let you go upstairs and recover, dear. I'm sure you've got friends dying to know all about it, too," Tom said.

As Marinette hovered up the stairs, he turned to Sabine and said, "Well, I can't say I was looking forward to this day entirely, but she picked a good one."

"She certainly did. They'll be so good for each other," his wife agreed. "They're so cute and innocent together."

"Speaking of innocence..." replied Tom, "How do we keep them that way?"

"Oh, it won't take much on our part. We just need to set up a few ground rules..."

* * *

Chat Noir stumbled through his bedroom window. He nearly fell through it. _Good thing I left it open,_ he thought. Outside of the very basics, his brain had nothing in it besides images of sparkling bluebell eyes, a tender smile and too many sweet kisses to count.

"Claws in," he exhaled, resuming life as Adrien and causing Plagg to pop out next to him.

"So I suppose that Marinette's kissy face is all I'll be seeing through your eyes from now on?" grumbled Plagg.

"I certainly hope so," gushed Adrien. "I can't believe how lucky I am, Plagg. She's incredible."

"And it only took you a year to notice..." The Kwami grinned at Adrien. "Now you just have to figure out what to do about her as YOURSELF."

"You think it'll be that complicated?" asked Adrien. "I like to think I have enough self-control not to throw myself at someone else's girlfriend. Even when I'M secretly the someone else." He grinned at that. "And it's not like she'd be wanting me to, either."

"Not now that she has a boyfriend," Plagg agreed, a bit grudgingly.

"You make it sound like she would've wanted that before," Adrien chuckled. He noted Plagg's lack of laughter and asked, "...What?"

"Am I the only one who was there for that lunch date in the park?" Plagg muttered, just loud enough to be heard. "I'd swear that I wasn't alone that day."

"No. You _weren't_ the only one." Adrien looked annoyed. "Okay, maybe I pushed it a little far that afternoon. I flirted with her, I held her hand, I was just so happy to be with her that I forgot myself a little. But what else are you suggesting?"

"And you REALLY don't think that Marinette was just as into you that day?" yelled Plagg. _I have had just about enough of dancing around this,_ he thought. _There's oblivious and then there's just freakin' stupid._

"She had a great time, and so did I! But she likes Chat that way, not me!" Adrien yelled back. "As Adrien, I'm just a good friend to her!"

"Has it EVER occurred to you, even once, that MAYBE THAT'S NOT ALL MARINETTE EVER WANTED TO BE?"

* * *

The tiny black figure, floating in Adrien's face, looked angrier than Adrien had ever seen him.

"I... what? Why would..."

"LISTEN to me, Adrien." Plagg spoke calmly, but insistently. "Maybe I'm just a dumb Kwami. Maybe I don't know my butt from a hole in the ground. But one of these times when you're cuddling up with Marinette as Chat Noir, _ask her who her mystery crush was_. You know, the guy you started this whole thing to help her win? Just for the heck of it, ask her for a hint or two. Now that you're dating her, and you don't have spots on the brain, maybe she'll tell you. You might want to know."

"You... you think it's ME? I've got to go check your Camembert supply, I think it's gone bad," scoffed Adrien. "If I was her crush, why did Marinette never say anything to me about it?"

"How many times did YOU tell Ladybug about your crush on HER? How many love poems and Valentines did you crumple up and throw away? You had lots of chances, I didn't hear anything," retorted Plagg.

"That's... different," Adrien said, suddenly not entirely convinced that it was. "I _know_ Marinette likes Chat better. Romantically, I mean."

"Know what the difference is? When she batted her eyes at Chat... Chat _responded_ ," Plagg said, as if explaining it to a child.

Adrien's mouth opened to say something, but nothing came out. Some dusty, cobwebbed wheels in his brain finally started to turn a little.

"Let me put it this way, kid. You told Marinette that you crushed on Ladybug, then you fell for her for real when you got to know the girl under the mask, right?" Plagg offered.

"Yeah... and?"

"When did Marinette start falling for Chat Noir? I'll give you a hint. When the guy behind the mask showed her his sensitive side. His _Adrien_ side."

"That CAN'T be... Even if it was true, why am I just hearing this from you NOW?"

"Because you never listened to me before," the Kwami grumbled. "I dropped about a thousand hints. Because part of my job is helping you with these stupid secret identity games. And because now the stakes are a lot higher! Marinette's _in love_ with Chat Noir now. I don't want you to hurt her by playing with her heart as Adrien, even if you don't mean to."

Plagg hovered a little closer. "Look. You wanted Marinette as a friend as Adrien - and she'll always be that for you. She adores you. You wanted her as a girlfriend as Chat - and you've got her. She _loves_ him. You kinda had a breakthrough as Adrien on your lunch date, and that's good! Get closer to her as yourself; she'll love that too! Just be smart about it, okay?"

Plagg shook his head. "You're about the most sensitive guy I know towards other people's feelings... when you know that they're THERE. This shouldn't be hard for you."

Adrien gave him a skeptical look. "I just... don't... it can't..."

"Fine. I'm telling you... ask her about her crush. It doesn't have to be today, or tomorrow, or this week. But sometime, when you're ready, ask."

Plagg flew off to the other side of Adrien's bedroom to sulk. "Or don't. When you have your ears on, she's all yours. Just enjoy that. What the heck do I know, anyway?"

* * *

The next morning, Marinette came down to breakfast still in a glorious daze. Her father was down in the bakery kitchen, but her mother was waiting for her.

"Sleep well?" Sabine asked with a smile.

"I think so. Am I awake now? It's hard to tell, it's all so dreamy." her daughter grinned.

"Waffles, honey?" offered Sabine. "I just made a fresh batch of them."

"Yes, please!" Marinette filled her plate and dug in. _Seems like kissing the night away works up a real appetite!_ she thought to herself.

With a sly grin, Sabine turned to her daughter. _Now comes the fun part of the day, now that I've got her alone with me._ "So... now that you have a boyfriend, what time do you want to have The Talk again, Marinette?" she asked.

* * *

Marinette turned a lovely shade of purple. "I... um... really hadn't planned on that being needed any time soon..."

Sabine laughed loudly. "Of course not, dear! I'm a terrible tease... though if you ever DO want to talk about THAT again, you know I'm here, and you can ask me anything. Even if you'd probably rather eat a broom than ask certain things."

"Oh, I know," stammered Marinette. "Once was enough, for now. I'm just getting around to trying out kissing, that'll hold me for a long while."

Sabine met Marinette's gaze. "But I thought we should discuss a couple of, how shall I put it, house rules for your new kitty?"

Her daughter nodded, a bit apprehensively.

"Your father and I talked about these last night, after you went to bed, and this is what we came up with. So if you want to debate them, I will listen to what you think but you might not get very far," explained Sabine. "But you can relax, Marinette! These aren't crazy new rules. I actually think you'll approve of them. So, are you okay with that?"

"Yes, Mom. Go ahead."

"Rule one," Sabine said, with dancing eyes, "is a simple one. 'Don't Scandalize the Neighbors.' I know you two like to hang out together up on your balcony, and that's fine! You've been very discreet all this time, so by all means, keep doing it! But if things end up getting... friskier... you'll find a more private place than where all the neighbors can watch?"

Marinette's jaw dropped. _Friskier?_ _Did she just SAY that?_ "Uh-huh," she mumbled.

"Rule two," Sabine continued, "is about the closest private place you have, and specifically about your bedroom door. When Chat is visiting, your bedroom door can close... until the first time I find out something's going on in there that'll make me want it wide open. Does that sound fair?"

She chuckled inside at the shock on Marinette's face. "I know you, sweetheart. You're the _last_ person I think I'd worry about that way. But you're also a very attractive young woman, who has a VERY handsome new boyfriend, and from the look on your face last night I'd say that he's a very good kisser..."

"He... is," Marinette stammered, with a silly grin she couldn't prevent from coming out. "He very, very definitely is."

"So, you'll want a safe place to practice that, n'est-ce pas?" her mother grinned. "This way, you'll have one. It'll also help keep your father from surprising you two in mid-makeout, which would be bad for everyone's nerves around here. Don't get me wrong, he likes Chat _very_ much, but you're still his baby girl, so do me a favor and help keep his blood pressure down."

"Understood," smiled Marinette. "We'll be tactful."

"And stick to the basics, hmmm? Take things slow. I want a happy daughter, I don't want kittens any time soon. This cat gets kisses and ear scritches, not belly rubs."

 **"MOM!"** Marinette considered dying right there on the spot. "I would NOT..."

"Rule three goes along with rule two," Sabine added, giggling at her daughter's facial contortions. "If Chat is in your room, the door can be shut, but either me or your father should know that he's there. You don't have to sign him in and out, but stray cats sneaking in from the balcony at three in the morning won't be happening. But I'm sure a nice young man like him would never think of that, right?"

"Certainly not," Marinette laughed. "He's a gentleman."

"Rule four is nothing new. All your normal rules, like your curfew, letting us know where you're going and who you're with when you go out, those sorts of things all still apply. But that should be obvious."

"Yep," agreed Marinette. "No problems there."

"Rule five. This one is very important. I know that Chat takes what he does as Chat very seriously; he impressed me when he talked about it at dinner. With his lady love living here, this may be the safest house in all of Paris," said Sabine. "But if something ever happens involving him that would put you, us, the neighborhood in danger, even when it's completely not his fault, I want you to promise me that you will be honest with us about it. We will not judge him unfairly, but we'll want to know."

"I... promise," stuttered Marinette. _Can I really MAKE that promise? Knowing that Hawkmoth's main target lives under your roof?_

"And that brings me to rule six. This is the MOST IMPORTANT house rule I have for both you and Chat Noir, Marinette." Sabine's face grew quite serious.

"...What is it?" asked Marinette, with widening eyes.

"Always be sweet to each other," smiled Sabine, warmly. "You both deserve it."

"Oh, Mom," Marinette giggled. They shared a long hug.

* * *

"So are you meeting up with your beautiful boy again today?" Sabine asked.

"Actually... Alya wants to meet me for lunch first. Probably so she can grill me about the mysterious guy I'm seeing," replied Marinette.

"Hmmm. Is he... okay with you talking about it?" pondered Sabine. "I'm not saying he's not, but I'd think that he'd want to be discreet, because of the... masked hero thing."

"We did talk about that last night," Marinette said. "He trusts me not to spoil his secret identity - which shouldn't be hard, since I don't know it either - but we're keeping our couple status mostly between us for now until we think about it some more. But I can only avoid it with Alya for so long. She knows I'm crazy about SOMEBODY."

"I see," Sabine mused. "Can you trust her to keep it to herself?"

"I think so. But I'm still thinking about what I want to say, if anything. The funny part is that right now I'm more concerned about ME finding out too much."

"What do you mean by that?" her mother asked.

"I'm... sure that Chat Noir knows me very well when he's not in costume," sighed Marinette. "It's obvious from some things that have been said. He admitted that he goes to my school. But I really DON'T know who he is out of costume! I mean, I know Chat very well, and I know When-He's-Not-Chat very well... I just don't have a name to connect the two. And I'm not asking him for that, either."

Sabine nodded. "If he needs you to know, he'll tell you." _That's interesting,_ she thought. _She really DOESN'T know! Just from the hints she just said, I bet she could figure it out in a day or so if she really wanted to._

"He actually offered to tell me, last night! Kind of. And I told him no, not yet," Marinette exclaimed. "But if he knows me that well, and he's spending time with me as himself... I'm worried that he'll accidentally out himself, if you know what I mean, with something he'll say or do. Or I'll figure him out before he's ready to tell me."

"You could drive yourself crazy worrying about that. So I'll tell you what you should do about that... nothing," her mother smiled.

"Nothing?"

"You can analyze every single thing every boy that you know says or does, so much that you drive yourself crazy. Or you can enjoy that you have a boyfriend that loves you, other guy friends that like you very much, and if Chat tells you - even by accident - he tells you." She sipped her tea. "If it was me... I'd just stick to the kissing for now. It's hard to say something to spoil your secret identity when your mouth is busy."

"You know something, Mom? I really like your advice sometimes," beamed Marinette.

* * *

Alya Cesaire approached Josephine's Cafe with a purpose. A mission, even.

That pretty girl waving to her, over there, sitting at one of the outdoor patio tables? Looking... _amazingly_ happy? Oh, it was her DUTY to pry every last juicy detail out of her as to how she got that way. It was a moral imperative. A sacred quest. The role of any proper best friend - to share the dirt and make a lot of squee noises at the best parts.

"Hi, Alya!" called Marinette, relaxing with a strawberry lemonade.

"Hey, girl!" Alya replied, coming close for a hug. "It's so good to see you!"

They ordered sandwiches and caught up on the week since school had ended. Alya had certain portions of that week she wanted to focus on, of course...

"So... Miss Glowing-So-Brightly-They-Can-See-Her-In-Avignon... may I assume that your date last night went very well?"

Marinette just grinned at her.

Alya held up a piece of paper with various shades of red on it. "My Blush-O-Meter never fails to uncover the truth," she said, making Marinette crack up. "Was there... romance? Your cheeks say... yes!"

"Whatever would give you that idea?" Marinette smiled.

"Was there... kissing?" Alya didn't even need the color chart to guess that one. "Oh, there was KISSING. A _lot_ of kissing? Marinette's face says: yes! Come on, Marinette, make this a challenge!"

"A challenge, huh? All right," Marinette chuckled. "I'll start with that everything you just said... is completely right! I've got a boyfriend now, we made it official, we kissed about a thousand times, and I couldn't be happier!"

Alya squealed and threw her arms around her beaming friend. "That is AWESOME!" she exclaimed. "I am SO HAPPY for you, Marinette!"

"...Now, your challenge is.. you just have to figure out who he is," purred Marinette, with a sly smile.

* * *

Next time:

* Alya plays Twenty Questions. Is she really prepared for Twenty Answers?

* Adrien has his own questions in mind... a few for Marinette, a bunch more for himself.

* Sabine starts with only one question - but one might be enough...

* Will Chat and Marinette come up for air long enough to ask each other anything?


	7. A Little Lightning, A Little Thunder

The Marinette Project, Chapter 7: A Little Lightning, A Little Thunder

* * *

Alya heard her best friend say "...you just have to figure out who he is," then watched her nibble on her turkey club with a playful grin.

"You're really going to make me guess who your new boyfriend is?" Alya smirked. "Does that mean you'll actually give me answers?"

"You wanted a challenge!", said Marinette. "So I'll give you one. I won't lie to you, but there are a few things I just can't answer. But before I answer ANYTHING, Alya, I need you to make me a promise." Her face turned serious.

"What we talk about here stays BETWEEN US until I say otherwise. I'm trusting you before I trust anyone else who's not my parents. Is that a deal?"

Alya gave Marinette a look that mixed concern with a little wariness. "I... promise, Marinette. It's a deal. Are you... in some kind of danger?"

"No! Oh, no, no, relax, Alya. I might be the safest girl in Paris," she smiled.

"Hmmm. THAT isn't strange for you to say at all! Let me think..."

Alya pondered for a moment. "You told me before that he's our age, so you're not running off with, like, some thirty-year-old poet with a goatee."

"Eww! No," Marinette laughed. "I never was into the beret look."

"Does he go to our school?"

 _That's borderline too much information... but I can finesse it._ "That's what he's told me," Marinette replied.

"It can't be someone from our CLASS... can it?" Alya asked.

Marinette thought for a moment. "That... I can't answer."

"Because it would give away that it's Adrien?" smirked Alya.

"Because, and I'm being one-hundred-percent honest here... I don't ABSOLUTELY know that for sure," answered Marinette.

 _Heeeeere we go..._

* * *

Adrien laid back in his bed, his eyes closed, reminding himself that he really _was_ completely happy and content.

How could he not be? This whirlwind of a week had ended in the most perfect way imaginable - with the lovely and adorable Marinette Dupain-Cheng in his arms, holding him, cuddling him, kissing him, loving him.

A month ago, even a week ago, that would've seemed ludicrous to suggest. Not that Marinette hadn't had a special place in his heart for a long while now... in BOTH of his lives... but _love?_ She hadn't given Chat signs of romantic intentions until, well, the other night at her house. As Adrien, he'd NEVER seen any overt signs from her! That he knew of, at least. She was Adrien's good friend and he knew they were both happy being that!

 _Right?_ thought Adrien.

 _Right!_

He glared at a small, black feline figure across the room from him, who was making a point of not glaring back.

 _How does Plagg have the nerve to suggest that I've been misreading Marinette THAT badly all this time? He made it sound like I didn't miss just one signal, but dozens. That I couldn't see that I was hurting a good friend over and over again. That she could hide that pain so well that I couldn't tell - and that if I _had_ been that unwittingly cruel to her, that she'd have kept coming back anyway! That's insane!_

 _Yeah. Insane._

 _Except..._

* * *

Marinette's answer stopped Alya in her tracks. "How... could you not know that?" she wondered aloud. "He either is or he isn't. There are only, like, a handful of guys in our class!"

"I meant what I said," Marinette grinned, slyly.

"Have you only, like, talked on the phone with him? No, that's silly! It's pretty hard to kiss all night over the phone. Unless..."

"Oh, they were real kisses, Alya. Up close and personal," she glowed.

"Now you have me completely confused," Alya admitted. "What color are his eyes?"

"A very pretty green."

"His hair?"

"Blonde."

"And it's NOT Adrien. Somehow. And you're sure you're not having some kind of, I don't know, mental breakdown or delusional state. You don't take Ambien, right?" asked Alya.

"As far as I know, and as far as I know, and no, I sleep just fine," smiled Marinette. "I completely understand why you think my guy IS Adrien! But I'm telling you, he's not... Don't you think I'D KNOW IT if I was kissing Adrien Agreste? Or that I wouldn't be shouting it from the rooftops?"

"This is insane," Alya muttered. "You're not making any sense, Marinette!"

"You asked for this!" she laughed. "Understanding this is one heck of a challenge. I'm still wrapping my head around some of it."

"'As far as I know,' you said. 'As far as I know...'" Alya had an epiphany. "Do you... and I can't believe I'm asking this... know the name of the person you were kissing?"

"I know one of his names," she answered. Inside, she was laughing her head off. _This really IS a crazy situation, the more we say it out loud!_

"First or last name?"

"It's not really... a first-or-last kind of name. More like a nickname."

"So you know your boyfriend by an... alias? What is he, in disguise?" boggled Alya, in utter disbelief.

Marinette simply nodded.

 _Here's where Alya goes berserk!_

* * *

 _Just so that I know that I'M not insane..._

Adrien thought back through the school year as intently as he could. _If I look at it from that perspective, as if Plagg's theory was true, could I POSSIBLY have missed something?_

A bunch of events DID leap out at him.

The party at Chloe's, for instance... where Alya all but hip-checked Marinette into dancing with him, then made a point of moving them closer together on the dance floor. The day at the zoo, where he THOUGHT he was there to be Nino's wingman in winning Marinette over. Was Nino maneuvering him into saying sweet things to Marinette by proxy? Nino DID hook up with Alya by the end of that day, so he couldn't have been that serious about Marinette... The guys in school, who kept after him about how lonely Marinette looked and how SOMEONE should spend more time with her... The excitement their friends had that time that he and Marinette had been caught by his fans at the movies.

 _Well! Maybe I _wasn't_ Mr. Observant. Because a lot of OTHER people seemed to think that Marinette and I would be a perfect couple._

He flashed back to the night before, flat on his back on Marinette's balcony, with her sweet kisses turning his mind into mush. _And, boy, were they right,_ he laughed for a moment.

 _But, no! She wasn't kissing Adrien last night, she was kissing Chat Noir!_ _And nobody at school knows THAT secret,_ he reasoned, with some satisfaction.

 _Maybe my friends DID think that Marinette and I should be a romantic couple. But that's not the same as HER thinking that!_

Adrien felt like he was on the edge of understanding something, but what it was still eluded him.

 _Think, Adrien. Stinky Cheese Breath over there seems awfully sure of himself. What does Plagg think that HE was hearing and seeing from Marinette all this time?_

* * *

Alya held her head in her hands, overwhelmed. "You're dating someone in a DISGUISE?"

"Oh, I'm not dating him while I'M in disguise. Just him in disguise." Marinette couldn't hold in the giggles. _It's all true!_

"And you're going to sit there and act like you haven't gone COMPLETELY INSANE?"

"You're so close, Alya. Think about everything I've said so far," grinned Marinette. "One little hint, since you seem to be struggling; he looks very good in black."

"Ohhhh-kay... Blonde, green-eyed, goes to our school. Somehow he's NOT Adrien. You only know him when he's in disguise. He's not our school mascot? ...No, I know that guy, and he's a senior, and he's not blonde. So... your guy goes by a nickname. You _literally_ don't know his real identity. He wears black. He..."

Abruptly, Alya put the picture together in her head, and it hit her like a runaway truck.

"NO... WAY..." _I have to be dreaming this. It can't be real._

"Are you telling me... that your new boyfriend is... is..." Alya couldn't form the end of the sentence out loud.

Marinette leaned forward, gave Alya a gigantic grin, and made a single, confirming sound:

"Meow."

* * *

 _Okay,_ Adrien thought. _I've got one big thing that I guess I do need to think about._ In his mind, he compared the two Marinettes that he knew.

One was funny, sassy, confident, clever, a wizard with a sewing needle or a gamepad or a sketchpad or a baking sheet. She was surprisingly natural with a fencing sword, fierce whenever she sensed an injustice, and a silver-tongued devil when making a point. All that without sacrificing any of her softer side - her sweetness, her giving nature, her eagerness to help others, her gentleness. _It's a wonder that EVERYONE isn't in love with that Marinette_ , he thought. _I'm very lucky that I finally woke up before someone else swept her away._

The other Marinette was just as sweet, just as caring, just as adorable... but strangely out of sync at any given time. There were lots of signs of the other Marinette hiding within, but she seemed nervous much of the time. She got tongue-tied easily. She was easily flustered. She was clumsy and uncharacteristically awkward. She doubted herself in ways that she definitely shouldn't. And, for whatever reason, it only happened when she was next to _him..._ but only as Adrien.

It seemed like she was trying as hard as she could to be close to him and just couldn't believe that she already was.

 _What's the difference?_ _Why is Adrien's Marinette so different from Chat's Marinette?_

On the one hand, the simplest explanation was the one he'd believed all along - that the Gum Incident from their first meeting got them off on the wrong foot, and that something about him just... rubbed Marinette the wrong way. He didn't know if it was as simple as that, and they HAD become good friends since. He knew he wasn't TRYING to be intimidating, especially towards Marinette, but maybe he still was, unconsciously? She didn't seem to be the type to be cowed by celebrity, and he hardly counted himself as one, anyway.

Adrien really didn't like that implication... but it had made sense to him so far, and it was part of why he'd always tried to handle Marinette as gently and tentatively as possible.

* * *

"Can I get a refill on my strawberry lemonade?" Marinette asked their waitress, while across the table from her, Alya clung to what was left of her rational mind.

"How can you sit there so calmly and tell me that?" Alya said, weakly.

"Because it's all true, I swear it," Marinette replied. "This stays BETWEEN US! Not a single word to anyone until I say so, nothing on the LadyBlog, _nada_! You promised!"

"Yeah... I promised. I'll keep my word." Alya clutched her head as if she was afraid that her brain was seeking escape routes. "But CHAT NOIR?"

"Mmm-hmmm," Marinette grinned. "And I promise you that when he's alone with me, he's _very_ different from what you see in public! A lot of that is a persona - you know, play-acting. What people think a superhero is supposed to sound like."

"So he's not just, all... puns and pick-up lines?" Alya said, grimacing a little.

"Do you think I'd be dating him if he was?" said Marinette, with a raised eyebrow. "I'm pretty darned fussy about whom I throw myself at. No one but the best."

 _I know you've met him as Rena Rouge,_ Marinette thought, _and he was, well... Goofy Chat then. But that experience should've given you a little insight as to how weird superhero life can be._

"Okay, fine. You're not insane. Tell me about him, then! I'm dying to know how this happened!"

Marinette gave Alya the condensed version of how she and Chat had met, with a slightly edited version of the balcony visit from the night of Andre's rampage...

How Chat had made a habit of visiting afterwards, how the two had become close friends, and how she'd gotten to know almost everything about Chat except the things she simply couldn't know. How neither of them had intended for feelings to happen, but once they did, there was no stopping them. How he'd won her heart not by being brash and dashing and flirtatious, but just the opposite - by being sweet, tender and patient with her. How Chat had been to her house, stayed for dinner, and charmed her parents. How, God help her, she actually _did_ like his sense of humor, which was the one thing Alya said she didn't have any trouble believing.

"Adrien had me from day one. Okay, day two. Chat Noir... had to work to win me over. But believe me, Alya, when I say that he absolutely has," Marinette sighed, her eyes twinkling. "He is soooo sweet. He is romantic without going overboard with it. He is a GREAT kisser. He..."

"I... believe you," admitted Alya. "I'm not completely convinced that I'm not hallucinating... but I believe you."

* * *

 _Or there's Plagg's explanation_ , thought Adrien. _That Marinette's been crushing on me for a long time and I am the biggest spots-in-his-eyes fool in the universe._

 _It... almost makes sense_ , he pondered. _Almost_. _I'd have to be wrong about what I've seen with my own eyes, but..._

It would explain a lot of Marinette's nervousness and actions.

It would explain a LOT of things about her, actually.

 _Could it possibly be that simple_?

 _Could _I_ possibly be that simple?_

* * *

"One more thing. I know Ladybug swore up and down that she and Chat weren't a couple... but he sure wanted to be one for a while there. Did something happen between them?" asked Alya.

"Let me put it this way. I don't talk to Ladybug like I talk with Chat..." _Mostly because I don't talk to my reflection in the mirror THAT often..._

"You've met Ladybug?" interjected Alya.

"Here and there," Marinette parried. "I don't, like, have her drive me to the mall or anything, but we've crossed paths now and then. I mean, haven't you met her, too?" _Yeah, haven't you, Rena Rouge?_

"I... have..." Alya said, leaving it at that. "I interviewed her once for the LadyBlog, and she's rescued me a bunch of times."

"So anyway... Chat told me that he and Ladybug talked it out, and she has some other boy she likes, and he respected that with no hard feelings. So they stayed besties. And then he talked to her about ME, and Ladybug said she was very happy for us and wished us all the best," she continued. "I don't know if Ladybug and her boy ever got together or not. Maybe we can double-date sometime," she giggled.

 _Once I build a cloning machine..._

* * *

While he did not have a cloning machine, Adrien was somewhat beside himself hashing out his dilemma.

 _Marinette definitely has been nervous around me. But not as much in recent months... and REALLY not as much the other day, at the park. Why is THAT?_ he thought.

 _If it was a crush, was she just getting more comfortable with the idea? Or was she... giving up on me?_ _I know it's not just "I like Chat Noir now"; I didn't get those signals at all until this week!_

 _Or is there another explanation and Plagg is just seeing what he wants to see?_

 _I'm really not going to get a straight answer unless it's from Marinette herself,_ he reasoned. _And if it IS true, and I ask her as Adrien if she was in love with me before this, she's liable to pop some blood vessels. Perhaps not my best idea..._

 _So maybe I should do it as Chat. But I don't want to wait until I can go out as Chat to see her..._

* * *

"Here's one more dumb question for you..." Alya ventured, "and you probably don't know the answer to this. I'm almost afraid to ask it."

"Do it," Marinette replied. "It can't be that crazy..."

"IS Chat Noir... Adrien Agreste?"

"...I stand corrected," mumbled Marinette.

"Think about it. Blonde, green-eyed, right age, right build, athletic, you said Chat told you that he goes to our school. Adrien's in our class. Everyone in our class has been Akumatized at least once except for you... and him. I'm not saying that it HAS to be him... but isn't it suspicious?" theorized Alya.

Something inside Marinette Dupain-Cheng started emitting thick clouds of black smoke.

"Marinette?"

"I, um... really don't think so..." stammered Marinette. "And I don't think the eyes and hair are a dead giveaway. You know how when they transform, their clothes turn into their costumes?"

"Wouldn't we have to see them transform to know that?" questioned Alya, a little suspiciously.

"I really doubt that they run around Paris naked the rest of the time."

"Point taken."

"So couldn't whatever magic transforms them change their hair and eye color in their hero form, too? Or anything else?" Marinette ventured. "The Akuma transformations certainly cause major physical changes..."

"That... does make sense," Alya smiled. "And it was a silly thought, anyway."

 _A silly thought that is going to keep me up all night THANK YOU VERY MUCH!_ screamed Marinette, internally. _Since I know that it DOESN'T change your hair or eyes, but you couldn't know how I know that!_

"Speaking of Adrien, though... if you're in loooooooove with your kittycat, where do you and Adrien stand now? You looked SO happy together in that picture you sent me!"

Marinette's mood faded slightly, for the first time all day. "I'm really not sure," she said. "I mean, that lunch date we had in the park was AMAZING! He was so happy being with me, he held my hand, he just looked so... he looked at me like a GIRL, Alya! Not as just a friend. For once. And he had to pick the worst time ever to do it."

"So he has no chance?" asked Alya.

"Unless he's secretly Chat Noir... and I _really_ doubt that... he doesn't now. I don't tackle a boy on my balcony and then date someone else," grinned Marinette.

"Tackle... Hold on, I'm getting my notebook out. I want this for the record books. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the most innocent girl in Paris, tackled a boy with romantic intent?"

"He didn't seem to have a problem with it," Marinette winked. "But as far as Adrien goes... ohhhh. I really am tied up inside. I _need_ him in my life; he's too great a friend for me to shut him down just because I have a boyfriend now. But if you'd told me a week ago that I might have to let ADRIEN AGRESTE down easy..."

Marinette's phone came to life, and Alya recognized the ringtone immediately. "Speak of the devil..."

* * *

 **[Adrien] Hi, Marinette! I was wondering, are you going to be at home in about an hour?**

She typed back:

 **[Marinette]** **Hi, Adrien! I think I will be. What's up?**

A moment later, the response came:

 **[Adrien]** **I was going to stop by your bakery and get some things, and I was hoping to see you.**

Marinette showed her phone to Alya, who whistled. "Boy's got it bad for you, I'm just saying..."

"Boy's going to make me cry if he does," said Marinette, smiling sadly. She texted back:

 **[Marinette] I'm out with Alya at lunch now but heading home soon. I'll see you then!**

"All right, I promise I will keep you posted, Alya. But I MEAN IT, not a word to anyone else yet! I trust you, but if I see one word on the LadyBlog I know where you live," mock-threatened Marinette.

"I promise! And I'm here for you, no matter who you end up choosing. Sounds like you've already committed to Chat, and good for you! I've been wanting to see you with a loving boyfriend for a long time now," Alya reassured her.

The pair shared a hug. "Oh! I almost forgot! Juleka and Rose asked me to reach out to you. The June Masquerade isn't that far away, and we're getting together to figure out group costume ideas!" exclaimed Alya.

"That's right! This is your first time, isn't it?" asked Marinette.

"I went to it two years ago, but you didn't know me then. It was so much fun, and doing it as a group sounds even better!"

Marinette agreed, "It is. I did mention it to Adrien on our picnic - maybe he'll join in?"

Alya grinned at her. "What do you think you could get Chat Noir to dress up as?"

"With his sense of humor, I'm almost afraid to ask..."

* * *

A little while later, Sabine Cheng saw a familiar figure walk through the door of the Boulangerie Patisserie.

"Hello, Adrien! What can I do for you today?" she called out.

"Hello, Mrs. Cheng! I was in the neighborhood, and thought I'd pick up a few things... Is Marinette home?" Adrien replied.

"She should be back very soon. She went out to lunch with Alya," Sabine smiled. _Someone's going a fair bit out of his way just to pick up croissants,_ she thought. _Our kitten may have competition._

She stared at Adrien for a moment, with an odd thought in her head. _...Or does he?_

Midway through Sabine's filling up several boxes with breads and pastries, the door opened again, and Adrien spun like a top as soon as he heard the sound.

"Hi, Marinette!" he called, with a huge smile.

"Hi, Adrien! This is a nice surprise," she said, pleasantly. Marinette walked over to him to greet him, and was slightly surprised when he opened his arms to offer a friendly hug. _Not that I'm turning it down,_ she thought, squeezing him briefly and trying not to turn pink.

Sabine watched their conversation, and Adrien himself, with more than a little interest. _Marinette still thinks he's wonderful; that much is obvious,_ she thought. _And he is a sweet boy. But something woke him up recently in a big way about her, and he seems awfully... familiar to me right now._

Sabine reached for her phone and texted her husband, quickly.

 **[Sabine] Could you call Marinette to the back room for a few minutes, please?**

 **[Tom] Sure. What's going on?**

 **[Sabine] Trust me. I just need a moment.**

A burly voice hollered "Marinette, can you help me back here for just a minute?" from the back. Marinette excused herself and headed back to see what her father needed.

Sabine gathered up the boxes with Adrien's selections and sat her phone on top of them while she rang him up. "So, what are your plans for the summer, Adrien? Marinette tells me all the time about what your father keeps you busy with, and -"

She turned, and her elbow whacked the stack of boxes, causing her phone to slip. "Oh! Chat, can you catch that? Anyway, I'm sure your photo shoots must get tiring after a while..."

Adrien was caught off-guard slightly, busy watching the doorway through which Marinette had passed. He heard Sabine's request in time to spin around and make a diving grab on her phone before it hit the floor.

"Here you go, Mrs. Cheng, I..."

 _WHAT DID SHE JUST SAY?!_

He stood still, dumbfounded, processing the implications. "You... know, Mrs. Cheng?" he asked.

Sabine had an equally shocked expression on her face. "I... really didn't expect that to work," she murmured, absently.

* * *

Quickly, Sabine ran to the front door, locked it, and hung a "Back in 15 Minutes" sign up.

"We need to talk, quickly. Come with me," she motioned to Adrien, leading him into a side room.

The pair stared at each other, both reeling.

"When did you figure it out?" Adrien asked, very quietly.

"Only just now," she said. "Marinette walked in, and your eyes lit up like a fireworks show. I know a boy in love when I see one, and everything else matched up. How many green-eyed blondes can be in love with my daughter at a time? I... Honestly, I had some suspicions, but I didn't expect you to just admit it like that!"

"You caught me flat-footed, Mrs. Cheng. I didn't know how else to react, and you're not someone I'd want to lie to. So..."

"So." Sabine stumbled for how to continue. "Can you... show me a sign, or something? Just so I know that I'm not insane?"

Adrien sighed, with some resignation. "Plagg, can you come out?"

A squeaky voice from somewhere nearby piped, "You're sure?"

Sabine looked confused. "What's a Plagg?"

A tiny black cat floated out of Adrien's belongings, approached Sabine and took a tiny bow. "Um... I'm Plagg. It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Cheng. You have the sweetest daughter."

* * *

In the back, Tom thought quickly about what he would need Marinette's help with. "Could you... uh... watch this for a minute or two?" he asked, gesturing towards one of the ovens.

"...Sure, Dad." Marinette watched the doorway anxiously. "Do you need me for long? I kind of have company waiting..."

"Just another couple of minutes. I, uh, appreciate it."

"Uh-huh." _Your heart's not in this, Dad. Mom, what are you up to and why are you suddenly so interested in Adrien?_

* * *

Sabine marveled at the Kwami before her eyes. "It's nice to... meet you, too. You are..."

"Chat Noir's power source is the quickest way to put it," Plagg explained. "I'm part of his Miraculous."

"Is that enough for now?" asked Adrien, and at Sabine's nod, motioned Plagg to get back under cover.

"Okay. We can talk more later, but we have to do this fast before Marinette gets suspicious," fretted Sabine. "First things first; I swear that your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you. You're only the second person besides me who knows it. Even Marinette doesn't know."

"She doesn't?" Sabine looked surprised. _That explains a bit more._ "Will she, at some point?"

"I'd like to tell her, but I'm REALLY not supposed to," said Adrien, looking away. "Knowing it is a huge responsibility. I didn't mean to put that on you and I have to think about doing that to her. I can't do it lightly."

"I get that," she replied. "How has she not seen it before now? Now that I know, it's obvious."

"I'm not entirely sure," Adrien pondered. "I think there's a bit of magic in the Miraculous that blurs perceptions when you see the transformed person, unless you're supposed to know. But I'm myself right now, so I don't know if that applies..."

"...and it's hard to fool Mom," Sabine smiled. "Okay, a serious question. Are you intending to date Marinette as yourself AND as Chat?"

"If she knew? Absolutely. But she doesn't, so until then I'm keeping those lives separate. She's a dear friend to me - she always has been - and I'll keep things that way as Adrien."

"Good answer, young man," said Sabine. "If anything, that makes me approve of her dating Chat MORE, so you can relax. With the way Marinette feels about you as yourself, I was worried that this could be very tough on her..."

"The way... that... she feels?" Adrien's eyes went huge.

Sabine gulped. _HE DIDN'T KNOW?!_ _Marinette is going to absolutely murder me if she finds out that I said that._

"You know you're very special to her," she said, attempting to cover that over. "One of her best friends, and you mean a lot to her that way. Anything else, I can't really say; she would have to. I don't want to confuse things now that you two have found each other in your... other life."

"It's all confusing. I've got a lot to think about now," said Adrien. "But I promise you that Marinette means more to me than anything else, Mrs. Cheng. I would never play with her heart. Chat Noir is totally committed to her, and I will always keep her safe."

"Come here, you," Sabine beckoned. She wrapped her arms around Adrien and hugged him tightly. "When we need to talk more, don't hesitate. You know where I'll be. For now, let's get back out there before Marinette gets worried."

* * *

Sabine reentered the main room, unlocked the door and texted **[Sabine] All clear!** to her husband.

Marinette arrived a moment later, looking a bit wary. _What was that all about?_ the look on her face shouted at her mother.

"Oh, hey, Marinette. All done in there?" asked Sabine.

"Yes..."

"I think we've got the store covered for a while. Why don't you and Adrien go enjoy the nice weather for a while?"

"Um... Sure!" _I went from indispensable to go-out-and-play awfully quickly there_ _._ "Is your car waiting, Adrien?"

"Not today, I walked here," he said.

"You DID? Wow, that's a pretty long hike... I've got nowhere special in mind, but... would you want to just go out for a walk for a bit?"

"Love to," he replied.

The pair headed for the door, with Marinette still confused but not complaining.

* * *

"So what brings you by, Adrien?" asked Marinette, as they strolled aimlessly through the neighborhood.

"Amazing cream puffs, for one," he smiled. "I figure that if I keep a stash on hand, I can bribe my bodyguard into letting me go just about anywhere."

That got a giggle from Marinette. "I'm glad he liked them. That's one of my dad's specialties."

"I don't think there's anything in the store they don't do wonderfully," said Adrien, gesturing to his overstuffed bag. "We've been getting baked goods there for quite some time."

"On foot? I'm surprised you walked that far," Marinette said.

"You don't think you're worth it to come see?" grinned Adrien.

"Not exactly what I meant there, but thank you," she beamed. "And I'm certainly happy to see you, too."

Small talk continued for several blocks. Marinette was a bit impressed at how well she kept her nervousness from flaring up. _I guess it's logical,_ she thought. _I'm someone else's girlfriend now! The pressure is off with Adrien._

* * *

Adrien did his best to keep up his end of the conversation with Marinette; after all, he genuinely adored her and being out with her. But Marinette's wasn't the only voice he was contending with.

There was the voice of Marinette's mother ringing in his ears - _Chat, can you catch that?_

That one he could deal with. It stung to have given up his secret identity so easily, but it was to someone he felt sure he could trust, and knowing that probably WOULD help their relationship quite a bit.

But her mother's voice once again - _With the way Marinette feels about you as yourself..._

That was it - the smoking gun. Marinette had fallen for him as Adrien... hard... and he'd completely failed to recognize it. What had he been thinking?

Sure, she was always sweet as sugar to him. But she'd seemed so sweet to everyone else, too! Okay, not Chloe, but no jury would convict her on that. But with this context in mind... with confirmation that she had been crushing on him... how far back did it go?

Plagg's voice joined in the chorus, filling in the high notes. _Because you never listened to me before. I dropped about a thousand hints._

 _Were there that many signs?_ He thought back with increasing alarm. A thousand kind words. A thousand smiles. Her handmade gifts. Her arms around his neck, her head against his chest, melting into him on the dance floor. The way she flinched and blushed every time they'd made incidental contact. The tongue-tied moments. The distracted pratfalls. Her eyes fluttering away from his gaze. So many times that he could hear her screaming out _I love you_ with everything but her voice, now that he was finally listening.

 _The whole time. She's been into me the whole time. And I was too wrapped up in Ladybug to notice, again and again._

He looked over at her smiling face and smiled back, but inside...

 _How could I not have realized? What kind of horrible person am I?_

Something had to give.

* * *

"Let's rest for a minute," suggested Adrien, seeing a nearby bench. The two sat smiling at each other, each trying to figure out how to bring up recent developments tactfully.

"So how are things going with the guy you mentioned the other day?" asked Adrien.

Marinette blushed, but thought, _Hey, no shame in the truth._ "We, uh, things are going really, really well. I'm his girlfriend now," she replied, shyly.

"That is great, Marinette! You deserve so much to be happy." _You deserve better than me,_ thought Adrien, _and I might be about to prove it._

"It feels really good, but a little strange, too," she admitted. "I spent a long time chasing after... someone... and I had this good friend by my side the whole time. And then, out of the blue, we just clicked, we both realized we had feelings, and now I couldn't feel any luckier."

"I know _exactly_ how you feel," Adrien said, quietly.

"You do?"

"Yeah, um... Marinette? I... have to ask you something that I don't want to ask you, because one of two things is going to happen. Either I'm going to look like a fool for asking or I'm afraid you'll be hurt. Or both."

Adrien folded his hands in his lap, looking downward. _I should not be doing this. I REALLY should not be doing this as Adrien. But she deserves complete honesty from me. I have to know for sure if I'm the worst person in the world._

"Adrien... just ask. I won't be offended," soothed Marinette, wondering what it could be.

"Marinette... you've been such a good friend to me this year. Maybe my best friend. But someone told me recently that... maybe that's not all you had wanted to be." He managed to look her in the eye, somehow. "Did... you have feelings for me, before you found who you're with now?"

* * *

The question hit Marinette like a thrown brick. _How could he POSSIBLY not know?_

"Adrien? Are you serious?" she asked.

"I am. I really need to know," Adrien said.

"Why?"

It was a question with the simplest possible intent and inflection. She wasn't angry, she wasn't hopeful, she wasn't heartbroken, she was just... curious.

"I promise it's not some kind of 'Oh no, please date me instead!' thing. I want you to be with who you're with and love him with all your heart. I just..." Adrien faltered. "I'm terrified that I've really hurt you."

Marinette paused for a long time before answering. "You didn't hurt me... because it wasn't your fault, Adrien. I tried to tell you a hundred times, a hundred different ways, and I kept tripping over myself every time. I couldn't get the words out and I can't expect you to read my mind."

He looked at her with the saddest face she'd ever seen on him.

"The day with the umbrella, on the school steps?" said Marinette, her face sincere. "My crush started then. And the better I got to know you, the more it grew."

Adrien just... crumbled. Marinette watched him curl into a ball, tears rolling down his cheeks. She tried to say something, but he stopped her, sobbing, "I'm so sorry, Marinette. I'm so sorry. I am such a damned fool."

He turned to face her and whispered, "I swear that I never realized it. Everyone else in the world knew it but me. And it must've seemed like I was rejecting you over, and over, and over -"

"Don't do this to yourself, Adrien," Marinette said. She moved to him and wrapped him up in her arms, letting him ride it out, some of her own tears forming. "I'm the one who was too scared to tell you how I felt."

"I wasted all year thinking I was in love with someone I could never have. And all that time I was hurting someone amazing like you," he cried.

"Someone you could never have...?" asked Marinette, her emotional radar suddenly pinging loudly.

"...I had the biggest crush on Ladybug," Adrien said, quietly. "As if she wasn't completely out of my league."

* * *

The bottom fell out of Marinette Dupain-Cheng's universe in the space of one sentence.

"Then you're not the only damned fool," she whispered.

"What?"

"Nothing. C'mere. Just hold onto me," Marinette said, holding it together by willpower alone. _I had him. I had him all along. I was two words away from the boy I loved all year and I was too stupid to realize it._ _Just two little words._

They let the emotional storm pass through them for a couple of minutes. Marinette took her hand and lifted Adrien's chin up so she could look into his eyes. "You are the only person who could make me cry by being so kind and sensitive, you know that?" she half-laughed.

"I'm so sorry, Marinette," he breathed.

"Look at me," she said. "Listen. You're more than forgiven. You're the sweetest friend that I've ever had. I may be someone else's girlfriend now, but you will always have that place in my life, Adrien. Always."

"I don't know that I deserve it," replied Adrien. _I don't deserve you._

"You do. You do because you care about me this much. People like you don't come along every day." She kissed him on the forehead, gently. "The only way you COULD hurt me is if you stopped being my friend. And now that I'm not throwing myself at you 24/7, I can relax with you and be the friend to you that I want to be."

She wiped her eyes. "I won't lie and say I haven't had some rough nights along the way. But I'm here on the other side of that now, and we're better for it."

Adrien sat up, slowly calming down. "You're sure?"

"I'm sure, Adrien. I'm sure."

* * *

When they walked back to the bakery, they were holding hands once again, but this time there was nothing romantic about it. It was more of a raw emotional connection - a way of saying _You mean so much to me_ with a simple, reassuring touch.

"You're going to call me, right?" Marinette said, leaning in for a goodbye hug.

"I will," Adrien said. "I'm sorry I put you through this today."

"It had to happen," she said. "Are we good?"

"Y-yeah," smiled Adrien. "If you are, I am."

"Message me when you get home. I'm going to worry my head off that you're going to be distracted and walk into a bus or something," Marinette half-grinned.

"I'll be fine if you will. I promise."

He hugged her again, holding her tightly, then headed off towards home.

* * *

Walking through the streets of Paris, Adrien Agreste kicked himself mentally again and again.

 _You stupid, stupid, stupid idiot._ _You had the most wonderful girl in love with you all year long, and you were too blind to notice her. And now you get to pretend that the hero she's in love with isn't the boy who hurt her repeatedly._

"Plagg?" he whispered. "I am so sorry. You were right and I was so, so wrong."

A squeaky voice from his pocket said, "It happens. Don't worry about it."

Adrien said nothing.

"Look at it this way; you got the truth out," Plagg said, poking his head out. "As Adrien, you're better friends now than ever. And you gave her what she always wanted - your love. You just did it with cat ears on. WHICH, if you'd put them on right then and there on that bench, might've solved everything in one shot..."

"I don't deserve her," he whimpered. "I don't know how I'll face her as Chat. I don't deserve her at all."

"She seems to disagree on that. I'd listen to her." Plagg added, "Now, about this whole 'her mother knows' thing..."

* * *

Marinette walked in through the bakery door. Her mother saw that she'd been crying and called to her, "Are you okay, Marinette?"

"I am," she smiled. "Just going up to my room for a bit."

She ran upstairs, flopped on her bed and lay motionless. Tikki emerged from her purse with some hesitation.

"Are you going to be -" began Tikki.

"No. I'm not."

Marinette paused, then turned to look at her hovering friend. "Did you know?" she asked, quietly.

"Know what?" asked Tikki, dreading the question.

"A whole year of heartache. All that time that I was throwing myself at Adrien, making a fool of myself. Tikki... _did you know_ that Adrien was secretly in love with Ladybug?"

Tikki held her breath. "Not the whole time. I had my suspicions, but I didn't know until he -"

"HOW LONG?" she hissed.

"...A couple of months, maybe." _The moment that I found out Adrien was Chat Noir, in Dark Owl's trap, but I can't tell you that without spoiling his identity._

"Okay... I need to do two things, then."

Marinette pulled out her phone and sent a message:

 **[Marinette]** **Chat? I really need to see you tonight. So much.**

Tikki hovered nervously. "Marinette? What's the oth-"

Her sentence was cut off when Marinette abruptly yanked the ladybug earrings out of her ears and threw them across the room, causing Tikki to vanish.

And then Marinette Dupain-Cheng buried her face in her pillow and cried her eyes out.

* * *

Next time:

* Into every life, a little rain must fall. This summer storm will pass.


	8. A Little Sweetness, A Little Light

The Marinette Project, Chapter 8: A Little Sweetness, A Little Light

* * *

Adrien stumbled through the front door of the Agreste mansion, lugging his boxes of pastries and breads into the kitchen. His bodyguard passed through and gave him a big grin once he recognized the boxes' logo, imagining more cream puffs in his immediate future.

Nathalie walked over, opened one of the boxes, took a deep whiff of the aroma and smiled broadly. "Mmmmm, yes! You have excellent taste in bakeries, Adrien."

"Best in town," Adrien agreed. "Well worth the walk."

"I told you that we could have driven you..." said Nathalie.

"No, I wanted to walk on my own. A little time to gather my thoughts and enjoy the air," he replied.

"And to visit the bakers' daughter without a car horn honking for you?" Nathalie smiled. She grinned wider when she saw the surprise on his face. "Oh, come on, I've seen you with her. She's very cute."

"Yes, she is," Adrien blushed.

"I don't have to remind you of all this, do I?" Nathalie asked, holding up his clipboarded schedule.

"I know, I know," he said, wearily. "The piano awaits. I'll get to it shortly."

Nathalie left, which gave Plagg an opening to peep out of Adrien's pocket. "You hanging in there, Adrien?" he asked.

"Barely," he sighed. "It'll be a while before I can look at myself in the mirror again, but -"

The Chat-phone buzzed, abruptly. He took a quick look:

 **[Marinette] Chat? I really need to see you tonight. So much.**

"So much for piano practice," grinned Plagg.

"I'm stuck, Plagg," Adrien moaned. "I have no idea how to make things right with her."

"So don't. Just go make them better than they are."

The words seemed to register with Adrien, which made Plagg a little happier. "Just leave the Camembert payment in the usual place," he instructed Adrien, preparing for the usual transformation.

* * *

Marinette remained motionless, face-down on her bed. The crying was over with, but she just felt numb. Prone and semiconscious seemed like a pretty good position from which to face the rest of her day, all things considered.

The familiar sound of *TH-BMMP* on her roof brought her a little closer to consciousness. _Wow, that was fast!_ She reached for her phone and sent a brief message to Chat Noir:

 **[Marinette] come down its ok**

Then another to her mother:

 **[Marinette] Chat's here, letting you know he's in my room**

The overhead hatch opened and a familiar blonde head poked through. "Hi," he said, tentatively.

"S'okay," she said. "Come in. Mom knows you're here, she's fine with it. M'about half awake."

"Okay," Chat said, climbing down and sitting on the side of the bed by her. "Are you all right, Marinette?"

"Rough day. Wanna talk to you about it," she said, sitting up and rubbing her eyes, trying to wake herself up.

A message from her mother popped up:

 **[Mom] Tell him I said hi, thank you for letting me know**

She smiled a little. _Looks like Mom really is being cool about our new rules._

"I'm here, Princess. Can you tell me what happened?" Chat asked, quietly. He saw her red eyes and added, "Have you been crying?" with a horrible sinking feeling in his stomach.

"Yeah. M'okay now..." She gathered her thoughts for a moment.

* * *

"Chat, my crush came to visit me today, and we kind of talked things out," Marinette began. "I wanted to be honest with you about that, first of all."

"I wouldn't be worried at all," Chat said. "You're certainly allowed to be close to people who aren't me! And you don't have to talk about it if it made you uncomfortable..."

"Still," she said. "I'm glad you feel that way, but I don't like hiding things..."

"So... we talked for a while, and now he finally knows that I had major feelings for him," Marinette continued. "And I watched his face when I said it, and it just broke my heart seeing how that made him feel."

"It did?" said Chat, with a little wonder in his voice.

"He really didn't know how I felt. I couldn't believe it at first, but I saw it in his eyes, so clearly. He really _didn't_ know. And when I told him and he realized how far back it went, I know I hurt him _so badly_ and I feel _so terrible_ about that," she sighed, with downcast eyes.

Chat looked at Marinette with some amazement. He'd left her hanging for months as Adrien and she was still apologizing for HIS distress.

"You... hurt HIM? It sounds like it was the other way around," Chat offered, hesitantly. "All that time, being so blind to your feelings... it's like he didn't really know you at all."

"He's not a mind reader," she sniffled. "And I spent months going all blah-bla-blah-bla-blah at him and I couldn't just TELL HIM like a normal person would! It wasn't his fault, but he's so sweet and innocent and he just looked so horrified when I told him the truth..."

Marinette laid down again on her side, putting her head on her pillow. "He reminds me of you, in some ways," she added. "You're both so thoughtful and kind. So selfless. He might be the second sweetest guy on Earth, and you..." She managed a smile. "You're at least, what, top six?"

"HEY!" Chat made a face at her, watching her giggle. "I'll take that from you if it gets you laughing again."

"You're number one, and you know it," she whispered. "I can prove it. You're here right now."

He reached around and rubbed her back gently, making large, slow circles with his hand. "You needed me. I came running."

"That was most of it," she said. "Then he said something else that got to me, and then I realized... if I'd done one thing differently months ago, I probably would be his girlfriend now. And THAT hit me pretty hard. All that time I wasted chasing after him, babbling at him, being a hopeless klutz..."

 _What does she mean by that?_ Chat wondered. _One thing_? _If she'd... been able to tell me her feelings early on, maybe?_ _I was so hooked on Ladybug that I probably still wouldn't have responded well._

"But if I had..." Marinette whispered, "then you'd still be just a friend, instead of how we are now. And this is better. This is how it should be."

"You're sure?" asked Chat.

"Yeah," she breathed. "I know it is."

She paused, then said, "So I came home and I had a good cry, just shaking some things out of my system. A bunch of leftover feelings. Now I can really move forward."

"Whatever I can do... you let me know. Anything for you," Chat assured her.

"You're doing it," she smiled back, still looking more than a little sleepy.

"What are you going to do about your... crush? Your friend?" tiptoed Chat.

"He's a wonderful friend," she said, simply. "He always will be. He means too much to me for me to change anything else. I think we're closer now than we've ever been before, just from getting all that out. I've wanted to be completely honest with him for so long, Chat, but I was just so scared to do it."

"I'm glad," Chat whispered. "So glad."

He pulled the top sheet over her, then climbed behind her and put his arm around her waist, spoon-style. _I can't cry,_ he told himself. _If I start crying, it'll give everything away._

"Get some rest for me, Princess," he said. "I'm here for you."

"Okay," she murmured, snuggling a little closer against him. "Thank you, Kitty. I'm so lucky to have you." She giggled briefly and asked, "Can you purr for me? That might help..."

"I can try," Chat smiled, and made little murring noises just to make her laugh.

Chat watched over her as she drifted back to sleep, her breathing becoming steady, her body relaxing. _I still don't deserve her. Not even a little bit. But I'm so glad that she thinks otherwise._

* * *

About half an hour later, Chat heard a gentle knock at the door. "Come in," he said, as quietly as he could while still being heard.

Sabine entered, and was about to say something until she saw that Marinette was asleep. Chat was sitting up next to her, watching over her, making a "Shhh" gesture with a finger to his lips.

"Hi!" she mouthed to him. "Just checking on her. What happened?"

"I'll come over," he whispered. He stood up from the bed, gently, trying not to disturb Marinette.

"Hold on a second!" said Sabine. She walked over and picked a pair of earrings up off the floor, setting them on the computer table where she knew Marinette would see them. "Just making sure you didn't step on these. I don't think you saw them lying there."

 _Huh, they're cute! Like little ladybugs,_ Sabine thought. _Well made, too. I'll have to ask her where she got them, I'd like to have a pair like these... maybe I'll borrow them sometime! I'm sure she wouldn't mind..._

* * *

Chat closed her bedroom door behind him, very gently, joining Sabine in the hallway. "This has been the craziest day of my life," he said. "And that's including the time a villain tried to make his pigeons poop on me."

"I've had days like that," Sabine deadpanned. "So what happened? She looked like she'd seen a ghost when she came back home."

Chat gave her the rundown, briefly, of how his two conversations with Marinette had gone. Sabine's face fell. "Oh, no! I knew the moment that I mentioned Marinette's feelings for you... for Adrien... the look on your face told me that I'd really blown it."

"You didn't, Mrs. Cheng. It's something that I really needed to know, and we're better for it. I talked it out with her as Adrien earlier, then as Chat just now, and she's a lot better than I thought she'd be right now." His shoulders sagged.

"And I'm amazed that as Adrien, she'll even still speak to me. I never meant to be, but I was so horrible to her... I have no idea how I never saw her real feelings for that long." He swallowed hard, trying to hold it in, but she could see him straining. "But she still wants Adrien as a close friend, which says so much about her. She's an angel. I wish I deserved it."

"Of course she does, and of course you do, Chat... Adrien... um... which do you prefer?" asked Sabine. "This is kind of a strange situation we have now."

"Whatever form you see me in, just use that name," he said. "Much less chance of the wrong name at the wrong time that way."

"Chat... don't be too hard on yourself. I'm sure you've had crushes, too. Could you always be up front with them and tell them exactly how you felt?" she asked.

Visions of a scarlet mask and sparkling blue eyes came to him. "Not even close," he admitted.

"If you were just some simple crush, someone she only liked on the surface, she probably _wouldn't_ want to keep seeing you now... But you've spent all year becoming her very good friend as Adrien. Obviously, a lot more than that as Chat," Sabine said. "She's talked about you - both of you - all the time, all year long, and not just with stars in her eyes... You've meant a lot to her, deep down. You are dear to her, no matter who you are at any given time. Don't you ever forget that."

"That means quite a lot to me, Mrs. Cheng," Chat said, gratefully. "Thank you for that."

"Because if you WEREN'T, I'd be running you out of my house with a broom right now, making my little girl cry like that," quipped Sabine. "Go, be with her."

* * *

Chat Noir sat by Marinette's side, thinking silently, watching her sleep.

 _I really do need to tell her,_ he thought.

 _Not today. Good lord, not today, I've already put her through the emotional wringer this afternoon. If I drop my dual identity on her today as well, her brain will leak out of her ears._

 _But sometime soon. I am so tired of hiding things from her. I can't hurt her again._

Chat reached out and brushed a tuft of dark hair off of her ear. Marinette stirred slightly at his touch.

 _If she had a secret life like I do, would she tell ME?_ he wondered.

 _I can't imagine that she wouldn't. I know she doesn't like lies and secrets and hiding things. Marinette's just that kind of person._

 _Although... they did drill into me just how important hiding my dual identity is, didn't they? She's so responsible, I bet she'd take that super-seriously._

 _I have to think about this._

Chat chuckled to himself. _Or at the rate I'm going, she'll figure it out by Tuesday. Mrs. Cheng demonstrated THAT nicely! It took her, what, one or two visits to unmask me once she started looking? It's a wonder that my name isn't on the front pages yet. Or on the LadyBlog. Or that my dad hasn't called me in and asked, "What's this I hear about cat ears?"_

 _Though, maybe the magic of the Miraculous really does work well when I'm not being obvious,_ he reasoned. _I mean, I know Ladybug probably better than anyone else does, and I have no idea what HER secret identity is!_

He leaned down and kissed Marinette's cheek, very gently. _Sleep well, Princess. I'm glad your life isn't as complicated as I'm making mine._

* * *

A few minutes later, Marinette stirred again and her eyes opened partway. "Chat? Hi," she murmured.

"Hello, beautiful," said Chat.

She stretched her arms out, waking up a bit more. "Wow! You're still here. What time is it?"

"Around four in the afternoon," he said. "And just where did you think I'd be going?"

"Oh, I don't know. Where are all the other awake people?" She grinned a drowsy grin.

"I wasn't leaving until I knew you'd be all right," Chat replied.

"Then I'll never be all right. That way, you live here now, Kitty," she drawled. "C'mere," she said, reaching out for him.

She held him close and kissed him, softly. "Thank you for checking on me," she whispered. "I needed you so much today."

"Any time," Chat said, very quietly.

Marinette heard a slight catch in his voice and felt a small, wet spot on his cheek.

"Hey," she asked, "What's this?"

"Just me," Chat whispered, "feeling luckier than I have any right to be."

"Oh, stop that. I'm the luckiest," she smiled, holding him a little tighter. "I'll message you later."

* * *

Chat Noir went down through the house instead of up through the roof hatch, mostly so that he could give her mother a thumbs-up and a thank you on the way out.

"How's she doing?" Sabine asked.

"Much better spirits. I think the nap really helped. Thank you for letting me stay with her - I'd have stayed longer, but I have some things at home to get to, and I don't pay rent here yet," Chat said.

"Are WE good?" Sabine looked a little hesitant. "It sounded like we were, earlier, but I wanted to say again that what I learned today is a very big deal, and I'm sorry for what I did. No one else will know unless you tell them. Not even Tom. Not even Marinette."

"We're fine," smiled Chat. "In truth, I'm almost a little relieved. I felt a little funny coming in here like, 'Hi, I'm a mysterious masked man, I'm dating your daughter now.' I was hoping your husband wouldn't crush me just on principle! Now I have someone here that I can fully trust and keep in the loop on things."

Sabine got a laugh from that. "Don't you mind Tom; he's big, but he's a pussycat. And he really likes you, too."

"Good. The feeling is mutual. Good night, Mrs. Cheng, and thanks again..."

She watched Chat head out, then walked down to the bakery herself to check on her husband. Today had been the strangest day for her in a very, very long time.

"Did you ever think," she said as she entered, "that you'd meet your future son-in-law when your daughter was fourteen?"

"HUH?" Tom exclaimed, nearly dropping the baking sheet he was carrying to the oven. "What in the world happened?"

"Kidding, honey," she said. "Just a mother's wild hunch."

* * *

 _Okay,_ thought Marinette. _Now that I can think again... time for a much less pleasant conversation._

She wasn't ready quite yet to make nice with Tikki, but she felt like she could be in the same room as her again.

"Tikki? We need to talk."

Nothing.

"Tikki?"

 _Oh, right. My melodramatic earring toss. I bet that got her attention..._

Marinette moved over to the side of the room where she knew she'd thrown them. There was no sign of them nearby.

She widened her range of search. Still nothing.

An increasing sense of panic ended abruptly when she saw them placed neatly on the end of her computer table. _Whew! Those are not something I can lose._ _.._

...followed by an even larger alarm bell going off in her head.

 _I didn't put them there. I was way too upset to go get them off the rug; I'd remember that if I had._

 _Chat Noir was in this room with me..._

 _Did Chat just FIND MY MIRACULOUS ON THE FLOOR and pick it up?_

* * *

"Calm down, Marinette," she said to herself, trying to get her pulse rate back down. "One breakdown a day is more than enough."

 _If Chat found those... that changes everything!_ she thought. _But he didn't say anything... and if he had found them, how could he not have? I'll have to test those waters later._

Marinette put her earrings back in, and a tiny red figure popped back into existence. It looked at her, then went "Hmmph!" and flitted to the other side of the room.

"I know you were upset, Marinette, but you didn't have to do THAT," sniffed Tikki.

"Yeah, I really did," Marinette snapped back. "We need to talk. Right now."

"Marinette, I'm sorry if I played any part in what happened today," Tikki said, choosing her words carefully. "But I swear that I would never..."

"Okay, okay... Tikki, let's figure this out. I don't want to stay mad at you, but I really need some explanations," sighed Marinette. "It's a bit of a shock to find out that the boy I was in love with loved ME, or at least part of me, and someone I trusted who watches every move I make as Ladybug never said a word. What GIVES?"

"Marinette... okay, here goes," began Tikki, nervously. "First, it's not like Adrien ever came up to me and said 'Hi, Tikki, I'm in love with Ladybug.' I'm putting facts and assumptions together as best I can."

"I get that."

"And it's not like I have or had anything AGAINST it. As I think you've noticed, I think you and Adrien would've been a great couple. But you and Chat are great, too."

"Okay. Keep talking," Marinette said. "How did you think you knew? What did I miss?"

"For a long time there, whenever Adrien was around Ladybug, he was nervous and tongue-tied and not his usual self. When is Adrien ever nervous? Sound familiar? It's a lot like how Ladybug was around Adrien. Or especially how someone _else_ I know very well was around Adrien. That was a big sign that happened often, and I kind of thought you'd noticed it, but maybe you were too keyed up yourself at the time."

"Maybe." Marinette didn't look convinced yet.

"He jumped off a tall building because Ladybug asked him to," said Tikki.

"Okay, point," admitted Marinette. "Not just anyone would do THAT. What else have you got?"

"Here's the thing, though," Tikki continued. "I didn't push you to go after him as Ladybug because I WASN'T sure, Marinette! I know how badly you wanted him as Marinette, and you worked so hard to try to make that happen. If I said 'Go get him as Ladybug!' and I was wrong and he said no, it would have devastated you."

"Did he love me as Ladybug, but not as Marinette?" she asked, in a sadder voice.

"I don't know, Marinette. You'd have to ask Adrien. And after today, I don't know that I'd want you to ask him anything like that ever again," replied Tikki, looking down.

"Speaking of things I won't ever want to ask again..." Marinette's face grew darker. "Right before I... shut you down... I asked you if you knew, and you were awfully sure then. You said you'd known for a couple of months when I challenged you on that."

She leaned in and looked right into Tikki's eyes. "What did you mean by that? When did you KNOW?"

"I..." Tikki was speechless.

"Tikki, this is so important to me! Adrien and I worked things out today, but that was months of my life we're talking about here! Months of chasing someone that I _already had_ if I just put on my spots and asked him! If you knew for sure... and you didn't tell me... _why didn't you tell me?"_ begged Marinette, with watery eyes once again.

"Marinette, I..." _There's no way that I can answer that._

"WHY? Tikki... you're my friend. I trusted you so much... and I swear that I still do," she said, with some desperation in her voice. "Please tell me."

Tikki took as deep a breath as her tiny frame could manage.

* * *

"Marinette, something happened that made me sure. And I _cannot_ tell you what that is. I am sworn to secrecy. And I know you know what that means."

"That it has something to do with Chat Noir," Marinette said, her eyes narrowing.

"Or another Miraculous holder," ventured Tikki, desperately.

"I really don't think that Adrien is Rena Rouge or Hawkmoth. Try again."

"I can't say what I know, Marinette! I WANT TO but I can't! I can't even hint at it."

 _I'm doomed,_ Tikki thought. _She knows very well that Chat loved Ladybug. I found out that Adrien is Chat. So he loved her in BOTH his identities, but I CAN'T give that away! That's just not my secret to tell._

"Fine, _I'll_ hint at it," grumbled Marinette. "There was a pretty good case that Alya made yesterday morning for it, and I really didn't have an answer for her why it wasn't true. But I'll go even further! _I know that you know who he is, untransformed._ We reverted right in front of each other in that whipped cream trap of Dark Owl's. That means that you came out, and that Chat's Kwami came out too. I even heard you shush someone."

"That was Chat's Kwami, Plagg," Tikki mumbled, somewhat defeated. "Chat didn't peek, I swear it. I watched him the whole time."

"Yes! You watched him. You know precisely who he is without the mask," Marinette barked out. "And I've never pressured you before on that. I never thought I'd have to. But... Tikki?"

"Yes, Marinette?" Tikki sighed.

"IS Chat Noir... Adrien Agreste under the mask?"

* * *

Tikki curled up in a little ball. "I... _can't_ say yes or no or maybe. You _know_ I can't. Only Chat or Adrien can do that. And I'm begging you... don't ask _either one_ of them, Marinette. Not now."

"Why not?" Marinette's eyes were aflame. "What am I going to hear if I do?"

"Hear me out, Marinette. I want to just say one more piece and then I'm done, and you can yank your earrings out again if you're still furious at me," begged Tikki.

She nodded, with a look on her face that said _I will, too, if you make me._

"The night that Chat confessed his love to you on that balcony as Ladybug, and you told him how important it was that your identities had to remain secret, that you couldn't know anything about each other... That hasn't changed, has it? You didn't tell him about Adrien then because you really believed that. And I think Chat really believes that, too. Even that night playing that game, when he offered to unmask if you won, you said yourself that he knew you'd never make him do that."

Tikki breathed deeply again. "With that in mind, I could scream about Ladybug's secret identity dating Chat Noir. But I don't! Because I trust you completely, Marinette. I know that you would never do anything rash that would blow up your identity. If you ever tell Chat... OR Adrien... it'll be for a very good reason, and because you truly want him to know."

Marinette's face softened a bit.

"And the same goes for Chat. He loves you very much, as Ladybug AND as Marinette. Anyone can see that! And he hasn't unmasked for you, no matter WHO he is underneath, because he's worried about the responsibility that goes with people knowing that! The same reasons why you haven't transformed in front of him."

"Marinette, do you understand what I'm getting at?" Tikki asked, sincerely. "Chat will tell you someday. I know he will. I'm positive that he's already thinking about it. But you can let him tell you when he's sure, when he's ready, when every bit of him absolutely _needs_ you to know... or you can challenge him or Adrien on it, and I honestly have no idea how that would end! You JUST reconciled with Adrien. You JUST fell in love with Chat. At least let both of those settle down first."

Marinette was silent.

"You love Chat. Chat loves you. Love each other with all your heart, and when those words, those identities are needed... they'll come. I promise. And like your mother said, you can either second-guess everything you see and hear and know from now on, and drive yourself crazy... or you can let it go for now and trust your judgment and theirs."

Marinette closed her eyes tight, as if coming to a decision. Then she slumped down into a relaxed position.

"You're right," Marinette said, very quietly. "I hate it _so much_ that you are, but you're right, Tikki."

"So I can stay out here a while longer?" Tikki said, only half-joking.

"The earrings stay in," smiled Marinette. "C'mere."

Tikki floated closer to her, nuzzling against her cheek, and Marinette put her hand around her in the best version of a hug she could give someone who was three inches tall.

"Okay, how about THIS?" Marinette asked, after a moment. "Do you think that Chat found my earrings on the floor just now?"

"Well, maybe I would know if I hadn't DISAPPEARED INTO THIN AIR..." countered Tikki.

"I'm sorry about that, Tikki. I was just so upset," apologized Marinette.

"I know. And I deserved some of that. But don't overreact on the earrings. Maybe your mother found them, instead of Chat, and she wouldn't know what they are."

"That's true. We'll see soon enough."

* * *

Marinette rubbed her head, absently. "That was quite a rollercoaster ride for me today. I'm half surprised that I didn't wake up purple with Hawkmoth telling me my new name."

"A little lucky, maybe," Tikki said. "But Chat got here pretty fast. And I think negative emotions are like the radio... we broadcast them all the time, but Hawkmoth has to transform to turn it on and be listening. He can't be monitoring them ALL the time."

"Yeah," Marinette replied. "Could you imagine listening to nothing but doom, despair and agony all around you all the time? You'd hide in a dark room and never leave your house."

She stood up. "Which is NOT what I'm going to do, Tikki. Even if I would look good in purple."

Marinette thought for a moment. "And speaking of not hiding in a dark room..." she said, pulling out her phone.

* * *

At his house, Adrien collapsed into his own bed. He was supremely relieved that Marinette had come around and seemed content again, and even more so that he'd dodged his just desserts for what his carelessness had done to her emotions for months.

Now, he had just enough time to not get the nap that he desperately needed before tackling his usual assortment of practice sessions. Which was typical.

A familiar ringtone from across the room caught his attention. He walked over, picked up his everyday phone, and saw a message:

 **[Marinette] I didn't get an "I got home okay and didn't walk into a bus" message. How are you feeling?**

 _Heh_ , he thought. _I was home for about 60 seconds before I turned around and headed back with my ears on, so..._

Adrien smiled at Marinette's obvious concern for him, then got a little choked up again. _I broke her heart as Adrien for months_ _and she's STILL worried about me. She is one of a kind._

 **[Adrien] I'm home, I'm good. You're sweet for asking. Chained to my piano for a while. Are you okay?** , he texted her.

He waited for a moment, then received:

 **[Marinette] Yeah, I had a nap, bf visited, I feel better. You looked really rough today and I'm sorry I caused that.**

 _YOU'RE sorry? That YOU caused it?_

 **[Adrien] You really didn't, I did it all to myself. You are so good to me, Marinette.**

 **[Marinette] And you to me. That's what friends are for. I'm watching you, mister. :p**

 **[Marinette] Call me this week, we'll do something fun together.**

Adrien pulled out his Chat-phone, called up That Goodnight Kiss Picture one more time, and melted all over again. He looked at the evidence in each hand of how much Marinette cared about him, and felt luckier than anyone on Earth ever had been.

 _I am so blessed having her in my life,_ he thought. _Let alone both of my lives._

He texted back:

 **[Adrien] I promise, I will.**

* * *

Tikki eavesdropped on Marinette's IM conversation with Adrien, and had a warm feeling come over her.

 _Adrien may not be quite ready to tell her yet that he's also Chat... but it won't be long. I can feel it. They are getting so close in all of their identities. So emotional._

Content that Adrien was okay, Marinette packed up her phone and walked downstairs. Her father was in their living room, watching the news; her mother was working on dinner.

"Hey, Marinette!", her father called. "How are you doing? Your mother told me a little about your rough afternoon."

"I'm okay, Dad," she said, sitting next to him on the couch. "Better than okay. Adrien and I really needed to talk some things out, and we did, and we're back to being close again."

"Do he and your _chaton_ know about each other?" Tom asked.

"Definitely. Or, let me put it this way - they both know that both of them are in my life. I know they've met, and they're friendly," Marinette began.

"They don't feel like rivals?"

"Chat knows that I'm still friends with my old crush and he's fine with that; he knows he has nothing to worry about, I'd never cheat on him," she said. "Adrien knows I'm seeing someone now, he's very happy for me, and he'd said the other day he was on the verge of seeing someone new himself. I'll have to ask him who that is, I admit that I'm curious," she grinned.

"That's good. Love triangles can be so hard on everyone in them. Or even worse when more people are involved. What'd that be, a love square? Love pentagon?"

"Beats me," she giggled. "I'm not up to Advanced Geometry yet in school."

"If you need any advice on your boys, I know your mother's probably your first choice, but I'm here, too," Tom reassured her. "I was a boy once myself, I know a little about how they function."

"Thank you, Dad," she said, kissing his cheek. "I'll remember that."

"Dinner is ready," called Sabine, and they got up and headed for the dining room together.

* * *

Around seven o'clock, Marinette's phone rang again.

"Hey, Marinette!" Alya said. "Are you busy?"

"Not that I know of. What's up?"

"The girls and I are getting together at my house tonight. We're thinking up June Masquerade ideas. Want to come over?"

"Let me check," Marinette said. "Mom? Dad? Is it okay if I go over to Alya's for a bit? Masquerade brainstorming session."

"Sure, honey," her dad called. "Just remember, we're starting early tomorrow to cover those big orders that came in."

"Got it, thanks!" Marinette went back to her phone and confirmed, "Sure. I'll be over shortly."

* * *

Alya met Marinette at the door with a hug. "Come on up, we're just hanging out for now," she said.

"Hey, um... About what we talked about earlier? I'm not sure that I'm ready to tell everybody that quite yet..." said Marinette, hesitantly.

"We can handle that however you want. But it's going to be hard to hide it entirely," grinned Alya.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm looking at you right now and you're bursting at the seams to tell the whole world how happy you are, everything but his name. Why else would you have given me the chance to pry it out of you?" laughed Alya. "If you'll trust me, I can help you cover for his... unusual nature for a while. Just follow my lead."

"Oh, I trust you, or you wouldn't know about him in the first place," Marinette smiled. "I just hope you know what you're doing."

* * *

Alya and Marinette went upstairs where the other girls were waiting. Juleka and Alix were in the middle of a conversation but smiled and waved, Mylène mouthed "HI!" while on the phone, and Rose came running over to give Marinette a hug.

"Ohhhh, it's good to see you, Marinette!" Rose bubbled. "You look great! You look so... happy!"

"I am, and it's great to see all of you, too!" exclaimed Marinette. "I hated to see that school year end. Our class was so special."

"Pizzas will be here in about thirty," Mylène announced, hanging up the phone. "Hey! Glad you could make it. We're just getting started, throwing some ideas around."

Juleka said, "Nothing much yet. I liked Pirates of the Caribbean, Rose thought about a Eurovision theme..."

Alix snickered, "And I told her I'd rather eat a hedgehog, quills and all."

Rose gave Alix a dirty look and stuck her tongue out at her for a second.

"I was thinking something with actual GOOD music. Rock stars, maybe. But too many of the good ones are solo artists, and we have a lot of couples in our group," Alix continued.

"I think Marinette has a good reason for wanting a theme that's good for couples..." Alya grinned.

"Oh?" Four eager faces spun in Marinette's direction, who couldn't suppress her grin. She made them wait for it as long as she could stand, then...

* * *

"...I've got a boyfriend!" she squealed, bracing herself for the reaction. As she expected, that was the end of costume discussion for a long while...

"All right!" cheered Juleka.

Rose came flying across the room with another hug. "Oh, my gosh! No wonder you're so happy! Congratulations!"

"Do we know him?" Mylène asked.

Alix chuckled. "Yeah, I think we do."

"Oh, that's right, Alya's spy in the park knows all," teased Marinette. "Or almost all."

"I was not spying!" protested Alix. "I was just there, skating, and there you were with Adrien! And, well, there was my phone..."

"Well, it's not Adrien. Though he and I have gotten so much closer lately, and I can actually TALK TO HIM now!" Marinette grinned. "It's so much better this way. He's still such a sweetheart."

"Huh. I'd have put money on it being Adrien," muttered Juleka. "So, DO we know him?"

"Not exactly..."

"What's his name, Marinette?" asked Rose, eagerly.

Marinette said "Um..." and looked in Alya's direction. _You said you've got this, right? Lead on, Tiger Lily._

* * *

Alya's smile was a dangerous one.

"Marinette, didn't you tell me that his name was... Chad?"

 _Chad?_ Marinette took a second to process that, then cracked up inside. _Oh, that's good._ "Yes, Chad! Chad Black."

Alya suppressed a cackle. _You go, girl!_

The other girls looked at each other, registering _Nope, don't know him_ amongst themselves. "Is he from around here?" Juleka asked.

"Other side of Paris. He spends a lot of time around here, though," Marinette bluffed. _Let's see how long I can keep this going... This could be fun, disguising the truth JUST enough. Even Alya doesn't know some of what I can reference._

Rose was next. "How long have you known him? We've never heard about him before. Where did you meet him?"

"Not that long, really," she smiled. "I kind of... fell onto him by accident, he got tangled up with me, we started talking, we were headed in the same direction..."

"That sounds like the Marinette we know," Alix grinned. "What's he like?"

"Oh, he's... athletic! I think he might've been a gymnast. Very agile. Muscles in the right places, but not too many," said Marinette. "Definite sense of humor. Major animal lover. He is soooo sweet! Always knows just what to say."

Juleka gently tugged Rose back down to the floor, watching her flutter out of control at the description. "More! More!" she called out.

"Let's see... his voice is so soft and kind. I tease him sometimes, he makes 'Chad' sound more like 'Shad.' Beautiful eyes. Kind of fluffy hair. Very romantic..."

Mylène leapt in, asking "How romantic? How did he make it official?"

"The other night, he came to visit me at my house, and I'd prepared a little surprise for him... a candlelight dinner on my balcony."

An approving "Oooooh!" chorus filled the room, so she continued.

"After dinner, he took me out to the Bois de Boulogne, we went out on a punting boat together, out to the middle of the lake..."

"Mmmm. I have to suggest that to Ivan," grinned Mylène, her eyes closed.

"...and he showed me what a great kisser he is," blushed Marinette. "And that was that!"

Alya, grinning, piped up. "How great a kisser is he, Marinette?"

"How much am I glowing, Alya?" she laughed. "Oh, every time I get close to him, I just want to grab him by the tail and..."

"WHOA!" laughed Alix, loudly. "SOMEONE's a really fast learner!"

The room erupted in giggles. Marinette weathered the storm of questions with knowing grins in Alya's direction, and a giddy feeling that they were really pulling it off. _I'll have to give the girls more than this at some point, but Alya was right - this is fun!_

* * *

"So is your new boy coming to the Masquerade in the park with us?" Juleka asked. "We can definitely figure out a theme to include him."

"I... will have to ask him, but I bet I can talk him into it." _With everyone there wearing masks, he can hide in plain sight!_ "And I was thinking, perhaps... something like fairy tales this year."

A light bulb went off over Alya's head. "Yeah! I like that. Mylène, you and Ivan could be Beauty and the Beast..."

Mylène laughed loudly. "Oh, he'll LOVE that."

"Snow White and Rose Red over here..." Alya said, gesturing towards Rose and Juleka.

"Ooooh! Wait. Which one am I?" Rose asked, innocently.

"We could figure that out later," laughed Juleka. "What about you and Nino?"

"There are lots of couples in fairy tales, we'll think of something," replied Alya. "What made you think of that, Marinette?"

"Oh, one of the nicknames my boyfriend has for me. I can't wait to be his Princess for the night, for real," Marinette glowed...

A loud "AWWWWWWW!" filled the room.

...Even from Alix.

* * *

Next time:

* Will "Chad Black" - er, Chat Noir - decide to join the costume party?

* Will Adrien also come along for the ride, joining Marinette and her friends at the June Masquerade?

* Hey, wait... how would that even work?

* Marinette gets busy sewing. And kissing. And measuring. And turning crimson. Among other things.

* And someone else gets busy plotting...

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I remain blown away by how much people are enjoying this. Added a bunch of babble to my Works In Progress profile section about it, which is completely optional.


	9. I Didn't Hear A No Yet

The Marinette Project, Chapter 9: I Didn't Hear A "No" Yet...

* * *

When Marinette got home from visiting with her friends, she was in high spirits. She had pulled off the conversation with the girls - and wasn't "Chad Black" just a little too on-the-nose? But they'd bought it! Just thinking about her dear Chat Noir had her tingling. She and Adrien were closer than ever before, as very good friends. Tikki was back on her good side again. There hadn't been an Akuma attack in days, her parents were being so supportive of her and her new relationship, and everything seemed be aligning in her life for once.

She ran through the shower, dried her hair, put her pajamas on and climbed into bed, ready for a sound and pleasant sleep.

Unfortunately for her, she still had the brain of Marinette Dupain-Cheng to contend with, which took the peace and quiet as an invitation to kick into high gear.

* * *

An hour later, a glum Marinette acknowledged that tossing and turning were probably in her immediate future. A single statement kept rolling through her mind:

 _"And I'm begging you... don't ask EITHER Chat or Adrien, Marinette. Not now,"_ Tikki had said.

And, as she'd asked at the time... why not?

 _Why would Tikki have phrased it that way? "Not now," she said. "When the time is right, Chat will tell you," she said. And when it comes to Chat Noir..._

 _I get that._ _It's going to drive me nuts to not know for sure, but I get that._ _It's not like I'm running up to Chat and saying, "Hey, sweetie! Spots on!" yet, either. If he is, I hope he does it soon, but it's his secret and his decision._

 _But if Chat really isn't Adrien... then why CAN'T I ask Adrien?_

The question was haunting in its simplicity.

 _Add it up, Marinette_ , her mind taunted her. _Add together all the clues._

 _He's blonde, with green eyes. He's in your school; he told you that himself. You're the only two in your class never Akumatized. He's athletic and agile. Right build, right size._

 _He's crossed paths with Ladybug numerous times. He started being that much again sweeter to you right when Chat started romancing you for real. He picked you - out of all of Paris - to be with, the night of Ladybug's romantic surprise that wasn't._

 _He KNOWS YOU WELL out of costume. You know he does. He'd have said it out loud if you hadn't stopped him on that game night._

 _They're both kind, they're both selfless, they're both sensitive. And they both have a smile that can melt your heart at ten paces._

 _And when you asked Tikki, who would know for sure... she curled up into a ball and wouldn't say a word. And she was terrified of giving any answer at all._

 _Tell yourself that you're wrong. Go ahead, Marinette. Tell yourself._

 _Now just try and get any sleep tonight._

* * *

It wasn't an absolutely sure thing... quite yet. In her mind, she played devil's advocate coming up with reasons to explain it away _,_ however implausibly.

 _Maybe Adrien has a split personality, and he doesn't remember ever transforming. Maybe his Miraculous is defective somehow... which would explain some of his puns._ She grinned at that one. _Maybe he has a secret twin brother named Felix who's the real Chat Noir. Maybe he and Tikki are carrying on a torrid love affair behind my back, and she's afraid to tell me._

But the evidence, while mostly circumstantial, all seemed to pile up on one side of the argument.

 _So what in the world do I do if I'm right?_

* * *

The implications were... staggering to her. _Adrien... is my Chat? The sweet, innocent, caring boy I fell in love with is the flashy, punning goober I ALSO fell in love with? Ladybug and Chat Noir have sat next to each other all year without realizing it? I've been snuggling and kissing Adrien Agreste and not knowing that I was?_

 _I mean, it would be PERFECT in a lot of ways, wouldn't it?_ she smiled. I _know that Chat loves both sides of me; this would balance that perfectly. We could be a couple in public with neither of us masked. If I told him in return, we could cover for each other's identities. Chat would finally know what it's like to be kissed by Ladybug. Boy, WOULD he!_

She giggled at some of the crazier possibilities. _We really COULD make out on top of the Eiffel Tower! Who could stop us?_

 _And... of course... then one of us could be brainwashed by an Akuma and give away all the other's secrets,_ she thought. _There are still good reasons why we've hidden ourselves away. This isn't all fun and games._

Marinette pondered that some more.

 _So when he does tell me... IF he does tell me..._ _DO I tell him?_

* * *

 _Of course I do,_ she thought immediately. _If he trusts me that much, I have to trust him back._

 _But m_ _aybe... that's why he HASN'T told me? Because he knows I'm not ready? Could he be waiting for me to act first?_

 _Hmmph. I bet I could call him, right this very moment, and find out!_ thought Marinette. _I could call Adrien's number, get him out of bed, give him my most sincere face, and ask him, "Please be honest with me, I need to know more than anything - are you Chat Noir, Adrien?"_

 _And knowing him... he would tell me. Right there on the phone, he would show me. And that would be that._

She stared at her phone, sitting on a nearby end table. _The answer is that close._

 _But what would I feel like, deep down inside, if I put him on the spot and shocked him like that?_ her conscience reminded her. _Terrible, that's what._

 _What if those tables were turned?_ wondered Marinette. _What if my phone rang RIGHT NOW and Adrien... OR Chat... said "Please tell me the truth - are you Ladybug?"_

 _Could I say "no" to either one of them? OR say "yes?" Or would I go into complete na-na-na-not-answering mode like Tikki did?_

Marinette worried her way from one side of the argument to the other and emerged with a decision. For now, at least.

 _Okay, I'm not going to ask Adrien outright. Not today, anyway._ _But my not asking him doesn't change that I'm sure that I'm RIGHT about this!_

 _But... what if I'm somehow WRONG?_

* * *

 _There aren't many arguments against it any more,_ she thought. _Though o_ _ne is that after the Gorizilla attack, I saw Adrien and Chat in the same place together!_

... _or, I could say, I saw Chat and a guy who LOOKED like Adrien... from a distance... together. That wouldn't hold up in court._

 _The funny thing is,_ reflected Marinette, _that the biggest thing suggesting that Adrien ISN'T Chat Noir... is that he DIDN'T tell me this morning._

She frowned. _I mean, I flat-out said "I was so in love with you, Adrien."_ _If Chat is Adrien... and I said "I was madly in love with you, Adrien" to his face..._

 _In the words of Captain Jack Sparrow, "If you were looking for the opportune moment, lad... that was it."_

 _I kind of lived that in reverse!_ she reasoned, _so I know what I'm talking about_. _Chat told Marinette that he loved Ladybug. If I'd been in love with Chat then, I would've kissed him right to the edge of a coma when I heard him say that._

 _Maybe he was just too emotional at the time to process it properly,_ she reasoned. _When I told him that I'd loved him, Adrien just collapsed, the poor boy. But it has to have sunk in by now, hasn't it?_

It actually seemed somewhat funny to her, in an odd way. _I told Adrien, "I was in love with you," and he reacted mostly with horror..._ _I mean, I get WHY, he's so sweet and he thought he'd hurt me terribly by not seeing it._

 _But that sure is the reaction every girl dreams about, isn't it? "OH, NO, IT'S TRUE!"_ she laughed, half-heartedly.

 _Or if he ISN'T Chat Noir, maybe Adrien really just DOESN'T see me like that. No matter what I thought I'd been seeing from him lately,_ Marinette thought. _Maybe he's NOT Chat, and he was horrified not just because he'd hurt me, but because I HAD feelings for him and he couldn't imagine returning them..._

She shuddered at that thought, involuntarily. Even if she didn't NEED Adrien to be in love with her now... it certainly would be nice to know that it wasn't IMPOSSIBLE. That he could find her at least desirable.

 _Adrien and Chat really could be different people, I guess... Which would be fine, too, no matter how ridiculously unlikely it seems to me right now._

 _...But then, who else in my life could CHAT possibly be?_ she argued, persuasively. _No one else fits all the evidence!_

 _Stop it,_ _Marinette_ , she told herself. _What would that matter now, anyway? You have your Kitty to love you and hold you. Adrien is your good friend whether he's Chat or not. Neither of those is at all a bad thing, right?_

* * *

 _Oh... this could go on all night,_ thought Marinette, rolling over on her other side. _I need to stop overthinking this and GO TO SLEEP. One thing I do agree with Tikki on is that if I mishandle this, it could be very bad. And if I overanalyze every little detail, like I'm prone to do, I'm going to mishandle this. And if I can't make myself rest, I'm going to keep arguing with myself._

She smiled, a recent and very pleasant memory coming to her. _I know what can get me to sleep._

Marinette tucked a firm pillow behind her back, snuggled up in the covers, and imagined that pillow being a loving Chat Noir, his arm around her, spooning behind her as he had that afternoon.

 _Adrien is special to me, whether he's Chat or not,_ she thought, closing her eyes. _But my sweet Kitty completes me. Just focus on hiiiimmmmm..._

* * *

Morning came, and Marinette reached out with a little disappointment, finding only her pillow. Waking up without a handsome kitty at her side wasn't nearly as heart-melting, but she'd manage.

 _Let's be honest, we're YEARS away from any chance of that being a daily morning thing,_ she smiled. _But a girl can dream, can't she?_

She padded downstairs for some breakfast. "Good morning, dear. How are you today?" asked her mother.

"Doing good!" Marinette was all smiles as she filled up her plate. "We decided on fairy tales for the Masquerade last night, and I've got some great ideas."

Sabine looked at her burly husband and grinned. Tom took one look at her face and shook his head. "I am NOT being Shrek this year. Not again."

"Wouldn't dream of asking it, Daddy," Marinette giggled.

* * *

A short time later, Marinette set her sights on conquering what promised to be a very busy day. Preferably, a very productive one as well.

 _Step one,_ she thought, _is to see which of my handsome boys-who-might-be-one-boy would like to join me at the Masquerade..._

Marinette pulled out her cell phone and sent the first message of her day:

 **[Marinette] Good morning, sweet kitty. Got your ears on?**

* * *

At his house, Adrien was finishing up breakfast when his Chat-phone buzzed. He checked it as surreptitiously as he could, turning the volume all the way down, trying to keep it away from Nathalie's attention.

 **[Chat Noir] Ears off right now, but still listening. What's up?**

 **[Marinette] Making plans for the June Masquerade. They include you.**

 **[Chat Noir] Hmmm. Not sure that I have a thing to wear. I'm not much on disguises.**

 **[Marinette] But wouldn't you like to dance with your Princess... when she's like this?**

A photo message arrived next. Adrien opened it and his eyes went wide. Marinette had used an app to layer a Cinderella ballroom gown and tiara over her selfie, and the combination looked absolutely radiant.

 **[Marinette] Not that it has to be Cinderella. My sewing machine and I will get... creative.**

 **[Marinette] I just need a handsome Prince or a gallant Knight by my side... got a preference?**

Adrien could not suppress a gigantic smile.

 **[Chat Noir] My lady, you could not keep me away if you tried. Thinking about which is best.**

 **[Marinette] I'll need measurements for you. Drop by sometime soon, will you?** ( ˘ ³˘)

* * *

Marinette grinned. _One down! Now, let's see if Adrien is interested..._

* * *

Adrien wolfed down the rest of his breakfast and excused himself. He watched his personal phone closely, figuring that another message from his lovely lady ought to be coming in right... about...

 **[Marinette] Hey, you! Got a question for you.**

 _Right on time,_ he smiled.

 **[Adrien] Sure, what is it?**

 **[Marinette] Remember we were talking about the June Masquerade, and how we usually go as a group?**

 **[Marinette] We're making plans for a Fairy Tales theme and I wanted to invite you.**

 **[Adrien] The others won't mind if I tag along?**

 **[Marinette] Of course not! You survived a year in captivity with Chloe. You're one of us now.**

Adrien laughed. **[Adrien] Technically, I've put up with her since we were kids. Maybe I should be your leader.**

 **[Marinette] HA! So true. Anyway, would you be interested? It's a week from Saturday.**

 **[Adrien] I'd love to. What costume should I get?**

 **[Marinette] That's up to you! Give it some thought, you have time. I can help. Think I'm being a princess.**

 **[Adrien] Can't wait to see that. Call me later, we'll talk about it!**

Adrien closed his eyes and smiled, imagining the possibilities. A small, squeaky voice piped up. "Can I ask how you're going to be there as Chat and Adrien at the same time?"

"I'll figure that out when I get that far, Plagg," Adrien replied. "With the help of a little friend of mine, and a big stash of Camembert, I'd assume..."

He thought for a moment. "Humor me," he said. "If Chat Noir is wearing something extra, like a disguise, then transforms back to Adrien, then transforms back to Chat... that should work, right? Adrien would have on whatever he wore the last time he was Adrien, and Chat would have on what was on the last time he was Chat. Is that how it works?"

"Far as I know," Plagg shrugged. "I mean, I might have to concentrate on it a little, but I think I can do that. Like, if Chat was wearing a hat and transformed back and forth, the hat wouldn't just vanish."

"And multiple transformations in a night won't stress you?"

"As long as you're not using Cataclysm, I can handle it," answered Plagg. "Though a trip to that cheese shop on the avenue might ensure that."

"It's a deal, buddy."

* * *

 _Perfect!_ Marinette thought, reading Adrien's acceptance of her invitation. _If they are different people, I'd hate to leave either one out. They're such sweethearts._

 _And if they are one and the same, I'll only need one set of measurements,_ she grinned.

 _Now, for my next trick..._

She sent a quick message to Alya:

 **[Marinette] Going dress-hunting this morning, starting point for a Princess and whatever you pick. You up for it?**

A moment passed, then:

 **[Alya] Sure! I'll be over in half an hour-ish.**

* * *

"So where are we headed?" Alya asked. "I'm more getting ideas right now than anything else, but I do want to do this on a budget."

"Me too," Marinette agreed. "So I'm thinking, as far as a base dress goes, I'm hitting the consignment shops. Between prom dresses, debutante balls, vintage clothes, those sorts of things, I bet I can find something in my size and price range that'll be a great starting point."

They rummaged through a couple of shops, making mental notes and comparing costume ideas.

"So, have you told your boyfriend yet about his new name?" asked Alya, holding up a long red dress. "And is this too busy?"

"Depends on what you're going for, but I think I'm starting simpler than that for mine. And, no, he doesn't know yet," commented Marinette. "I think that he'll think 'Chad Black' is hilarious. We're still a little worried about going public, but that's why this Masquerade is perfect - he'll be just one more guy in disguise there."

"What's HE going as?"

"That's up to him," Marinette said. "I suggested either a handsome prince or a knight in shining armor, but he can pick whatever he wants. I just want it to me something he can move in, so if he says 'I'll be a knight' I'll design him something armor-y looking in cloth, instead of something boxy and clunky."

"Makes sense," Alya agreed. "With all the walking and dancing, he won't want to be moving like Frankenstein's monster all night. Did you talk to Adrien, too?"

"Uh-huh! He's coming, too. I really want to make sure he knows that all his school friendships didn't end when the school year did. I hate the thought of him feeling lonely."

"That's sweet of you," smiled Alya. "If all else fails, maybe you can have Chat hook him up with Ladybug!"

She saw Marinette wince a little at that line. _Whoa, that touched a nerve. Why?_ "What's wrong, Marinette?" she asked.

"Oh, it's nothing," Marinette replied, regaining her composure quickly. "I just think that... Ladybug's a big reason why Adrien never noticed me before. I think he crushed on her like I crushed on him, and we were both blind to anyone else. And Ladybug probably never knew; it wasn't her fault."

"Really..." Alya mused. "But I could see that. So many guys are _totally crazy_ for Ladybug."

"...So I keep hearing!" muttered Marinette, still not quite believing it fully.

Alya leaned in, conspiratorially. "Like, I think Nino has a little fantasy about Ladybug, too. Did I tell you that Nino offered to buy me this one red-and-black spotted swimsuit I saw?"

"N-no, you hadn't..." she stammered. _NEXT STOP: TOO MUCH INFORMATION-LAND! ALL ABOARRRRRRD!_

* * *

At his house, Adrien approached Nathalie, a little hesitantly. "I... have an errand to run before my Chinese lessons," he said. "It shouldn't take long."

"You have been pretty... distracted, lately," noted Nathalie. "Is there anything that we need to know about?"

"Do the words 'baker's daughter' count towards that?" he blushed.

"Ah! I take it things are going well with her?" Nathalie's smile was surprisingly genuine.

"Very well, actually. She'd like to meet me to talk about the June Masquerade coming up..."

"Well..." Nathalie pondered the concept. "I'll put it this way. You know your father's standards - as long as he's happy, I'm sure you can be given leeway for that."

"Does he have to know yet? We're still kind of figuring things out..." asked Adrien.

"I'm not going to lie to him; you know that. But I have my ways of presenting certain information more... favorably when I need to. Don't worry about it," she reassured him. "Despite the rumors, they didn't grow me in a lab, Adrien. I'll work with you on this; I think she could be really good for you. Just don't give me a lot of surprises."

Adrien blinked three, maybe four times before it registered fully. "Th-hank you, Nathalie!" he said. "I'll keep you informed."

* * *

"Come on out!" Alya called. "I can't wait to see that last dress on you."

"Just a second... fixing one little thing... okay!"

Marinette stepped out of the fitting room in a long, flowing vintage gown, light blue, with just enough lace in the right places.

"WOW!" whistled Alya. "I think we have a winner, Princess Marinette. How much is it?"

"It's within my budget," Marinette said. "You think this is it? It'll need a little bit of work over here, taking in this part..."

"By the time you're done, with your sewing talent, you'll look like you were poured into it," Alya answered. "'Chad' is going to fall over dead. And so will everyone else."

"I'm getting it," Marinette squealed. "Now let's figure out what we can get for you..."

* * *

Back at her house, Marinette showed off her purchase to her parents, who were appreciative.

"That is gorgeous, Marinette! It reminds me of one your mother wore for me, when she was a little older than you," Tom said.

"That formal in Provence, Tom? You remembered!" beamed Sabine, smiling coyly. "That was an _amazing_ night."

"A sight that I will never forget, dear," he cooed. "You were beyond gorgeous..."

"Am I going to have to set ground rules for YOU TWO in my room?" Marinette asked, rolling her eyes at their batting of eyes.

"Our house, dear," Sabine said, winking. "Good luck with that. Has Chat seen this yet?"

"Not yet," replied Marinette. "I want to make some alterations to it first, and I'm expecting..."

*TH-BMMP!*

"...him here shortly, I asked him to let me take some measurements for whatever his costume ends up being. So..."

Marinette whisked the dress into her closet quickly, then yelled "Come on down, Chat!"

The hatch opened, and Chat Noir dropped down into the room. "Oh! Hello, Mr. Dupain, Mrs. Chang!" he said, slightly surprised at the full house in her room.

"Hello, Chat," said Sabine. "We were just peeking at Marinette's dress for the Masquerade. You're going to love it."

"I'm sure," he grinned. "...Can I see, Marinette?"

"Not yet," she said. "I have a lot of work to do on it to get it just right. It's not TOO far off of that Cinderella gown I messaged you, though."

"You could wear a burlap sack and still be beautiful," he purred, drawing a blush from Marinette. They leaned in close, nervously, mindful of her parents in the room; Chat settled for the briefest of pecks on her cheek.

"Hey! We saw that," Sabine teased. She looked happy... Tom did not.

"AHEM," Tom coughed. "Mr. _chaton_... you're really going to just plop down in my daughter's room, in front of her parents, and kiss her like that right in front of them?" he said in a stern voice.

"Uh..." Chat stammered, shrinking back. _I know Mr. Dupain seemed to like me before, but he IS a very large man..._ "I'm sorry, Mr. Dupain... I didn't... mean to..."

Tom loomed over Chat for a moment, looking quite imposing. He then turned and walked back over by Sabine, and said "You don't kiss her like that. You do it like THIS."

He put his arms around Sabine, lowered her in a quite theatrical deep dip, and planted a huge smooch on her lips.

When they surfaced for air a few seconds later, Tom had a satisfied look, while Sabine was laughing her head off. The kids looked like they'd just seen a ghost.

"Come on, dear. OBVIOUSLY, these two need more practice," sniffed Tom with a smile as they headed downstairs.

Chat looked over at Marinette, who was in a state halfway between amusement and complete mortification. "That... just happened, right?" he ventured.

"Y-yeah," she managed. "You know how you told me that your dad never seems to show much of any emotions any more?"

"Uh-huh?"

"Be careful what you wish for," she said, smiling at him.

"Okay... so you wanted measurements, right?" said Chat. Marinette grabbed a tape measure as he moved to the center of the room and put his arms out. "How do you want me for this?"

"Well... not so fast, Kitty..." She looped the tape measure around his waist, then yanked on both sides of it firmly, pulling him face to face with her. As she wrapped her arms around him, she grinned, "You heard the man... we need more practice."

* * *

Eventually, Marinette did get around to using the tape measure for its originally intended purpose.

"I think that's... all I need, Chat," she said. "Thank you for being patient with me."

"No problem! You're helping me," Chat replied. "It's such a burden on me, my gorgeous girlfriend putting her hands all over me."

"It's a real hardship for me too, sweetie," Marinette grinned. "Do you know what you want to be yet? And don't say 'yours,' you already are. I have a couple of ideas..."

"Really? I'll take a look."

Marinette grabbed a sketchpad and they settled down on the edge of her bed together.

"...See, if you want to be my handsome prince we could do it this way... or this... or this. Depending on what you want to be seen in public in. Or, if you'd rather be my gallant and shining knight, I was thinking if I did it in grey cloth, but decorated it like this... see? That way it'd look like metal armor but be soft and you can move in it..."

"They both sound great. It'll be hard for me to decide," Chat said, impressed.

"Or I'm completely open to other ideas. Maybe a court jester's closer to your true self," she needled him.

"I just want to be there with you," smiled Chat. "Whatever you think will complement my Princess best."

Marinette grinned at him again, then let out a small squeal. "Oh, it's going to be so GREAT being out with you in public like that! I love what we're building together, but part of me just wants to show you off, sweetie..."

"I know," he replied, quietly. "I want that, too."

Marinette picked up his mood swing from that, and put her arm around him. "But I will never pressure you for that. I promise, Chat."

"Why not?"

* * *

She looked at him, dumbfounded. "What do you mean, why not?"

Chat met her gaze. "It's something we both want, isn't it? It's something we're... close to already."

"How close?" Marinette whispered.

He closed his eyes. "Closer than you know. It's taking all my willpower not to transform right now. It'll take even more the next time I see you as... myself."

She smiled. "So we do know each other."

"Oh, I think I gave that away a long time ago," said Chat. "The night of my Ladybug surprise. The night that you were the only other person in Paris I wanted to see."

Marinette pulled him closer, his head on her shoulder. "You're not the only one struggling," she said. "Last night, I was up half the night thinking about... us. About whether I should ask you who you are underneath... about whether I already know."

"You think that you do?" Chat looked at her with intensity.

"I'm not sure. But I might," she breathed. "With what you've told me, with what I've figured out on my own... I might. I don't want to say, in case I'm wrong. Or... in case I'm right. Knowing for sure would change everything, and we both know that. Save it for when the time is right. Someone whom I... trust very much said that when you want me to know for sure, when every little bit of you knows it's time, you'll tell me, and I believe her."

"Someone you trust, hmmm? She must be a smart lady." _Even smarter_ _than you know, if it's your mother,_ Chat thought. _She's sharp as a whip. I have the bruised secret identity to prove it._

"She sure is," said Marinette. A little rustle in her purse told her that she'd been heard.

"Right now, there's only one person that I need you to be, Chat Noir," Marinette whispered, leaning against Chat.

"And who is that?"

"Mine."

* * *

Gabriel Agreste took his daily report from Nathalie about the events of the day, including Adrien's activities. When the subject reached Adrien, Gabriel asked, "Is he available? I'd like to talk with him, briefly."

"Actually," Nathalie said, "he is running an errand, as he put it. He has a young lady friend from school that he's visiting, and should be back soon."

"A young lady?" Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "This is something new. Do I know her?"

"You have met her, yes. The dark-haired girl from his class with the twin pigtails. Her parents run that delicious bakery near the school. She was the winner of the derby hat design contest you ran, remember? And she was the one who returned your... special book."

"Yes... that girl," he mused. "I remember her. She seemed intelligent, very creative, obviously cares a great deal about Adrien. I don't like that she had her hands on that book, but she didn't seem to grasp its implications. Though, honestly, how could she have?"

"Adrien seems quite taken with her, as much as I've ever seen him show interest in girls his age," Nathalie added. "He voiced concern to me that you might disapprove, and asked me to put in a good word, so to speak. I haven't met her personally, but I've seen them together several times, and I will say that they are adorable together. She appears as smitten by him as it's possible to be, and that may be mutual."

"Good. Keep an eye on the situation for me, but do not interfere," smiled Gabriel. He drew some amusement from the mild look of surprise on Nathalie's face. "Come now, Nathalie? I may be a part-time supervillain, but I'm not an OGRE. I want my son to be happy just like any other father would... and a happy son may be more inclined to take his other responsibilities seriously. Do you know where they went today?"

"From what he said, he was going to see her to talk about the upcoming June Masquerade in a nearby park. She'd like him to attend it with her."

"I see..." _Interesting. I had thought of that as an excellent Akuma target, given the large crowds of people who attend that, but if my son will be there, I would not endanger him lightly._

"You can tell Adrien that as long as she does not interfere with his other responsibilities and tasks, she has my blessing," concluded Gabriel. "And he is welcome to attend the Masquerade with her." _As for the young lady,_ he thought, _I will simply observe the situation... for the moment._

* * *

Around one in the morning, Marinette was restless again. Unexpectedly, she heard an incoming message on her cell phone.

 **[Chat Noir** **] Hello, beautiful. Just checking if, by some chance, you're still awake?**

 _That's unusual,_ she thought. She typed back:

 **[Marinette] I am. What's up?**

The timing of the message worried her a bit, until she saw:

 **[Chat Noir] Nothing serious. I couldn't sleep. Thinking about you. Fighting the urge to come cuddle you right now.**

Marinette's pulse revved up like a race car engine.

 **[Marinette]** **Tempting... but my parents would kill you, then me if you snuck into my room. Possibly not in that order.**

 **[Chat Noir] Oh, just tell them there was a stray cat yowling on your balcony. How could you not comfort him?**

 **[Marinette] I left a saucer of milk and a scratching post up there. Isn't that enough?**

Chat blew a raspberry at his phone, even though she couldn't hear it.

 **[Marinette] Seriously, my mom and dad are being AMAZING about their visitation rules for you.**

 **[Marinette] I really do want to keep them as they are by not pushing them too far.**

 **[Chat Noir] Oh, I agree! I'm just teasing. I want to stay in their good graces, too.**

 **[Chat Noir] But...**

Chat left that dangling long enough to make Marinette wonder.

 **[Marinette] ...but what?**

 **[** **Chat Noir]** **Can I call you? A video call? I'm not teasing when I say how much I'd love to see your smile right now.**

 _Still get such a thrill from that,_ Marinette thought, tingling all over...

Marinette hurried to the mirror, checked a few things, then ran back to bed and got comfortable.

 **[Marinette] Then my smile you'll have. How can I turn down that sweet request? As long as we're brief and quiet.**

About ten seconds later...

* * *

 **[INCOMING VIDEO CALL - Chat Noir]**

Marinette smiled at Chat, lying on her stomach on her bed, her bare feet crossed behind her casually. "I really wish you COULD be here," she sighed, "but at least this way I get to see you."

"I know the feeling," Chat said, his green cat-eyes standing out in the dim light of his phone screen. "I'm glad we live in an age with video phones." He peered at Marinette's image, intently. "Are those your movie-theater pajamas?"

"HOW did you hear about that?" yelped Marinette, caught off-guard. "And, yeah, they are."

"There were only about five hundred phone cameras following you and Adrien that day, remember?" he laughed. "Most of them were watching the boy in the motorcycle helmet. I was more interested in the cute girl in the towel turban."

"Right," Marinette grumbled. "Nothing quite like trending on Twitter, dressed like that..."

"Oh, come on! Your pajamas are really cute, Marinette. I doubt you usually match them up with sunglasses and a towel, though..."

"Uh-huh," she smiled. "And I bet YOU usually sleep in your cat ears and leather, right?"

"I try not to make a habit of that, especially in the summer. Do you know how hot it gets running around in skintight leather? Or whatever fabric this is," complained Chat.

"I could design you something," mused Marinette, "though I don't know how magical or villain-proof it would be. You must be roasting over there right now."

"A little," he admitted, "though we do have central air, which helps. And I'll be changing into what I sleep in soon."

"Oh-ho! My boyfriend's going to strip down for me! This IS a memorable night," giggled Marinette, a little too eagerly.

 _Oh, you'd want to see that, would you?_ Chat thought, feeling playful. In an even voice, he said, "I don't even have to move, actually. I can just say two words."

* * *

That got Marinette's attention. "Wait, what?"

"I transformed to Chat after I put on my night clothes... two words, and I'll transform back."

"WAIT! Um... But wouldn't that mean..."

"I don't sleep in my mask, if that's what you're thinking," he grinned. "Not much at all, actually. Tempted?"

 _Oh, lord, am I,_ thought Marinette. _But like this? Right now?_

"We talked about this today, didn't we?" she said.

"I know... and I'm exactly who you asked me to be. Yours. Sure you don't want to see just who you've won?" Chat's smile was sincere, but also a bit dangerous.

"Maybe you shouldn't... uh... only if you're really, REALLY sure... I mean..." she stammered.

"Yeah," he laughed, stretching his arms out behind his head, "Maybe you're not ready for that. I _am_ pretty irresistible, underneath..."

 _Well!_ Marinette made a face at him, then an elfin impulse struck her. _So you're feeling mischievous, Kitty? I hope you won't need your brain any time soon. I'm about to fry it._

"Hold on just a moment, sweetie," she said, wrestling with something just off camera for a few seconds. She laid back on her bed and smiled slyly. "If you're going to make such a generous offer... taking off your mask for me... showing me your _irresistible_ true self... I think it's only fair if I take off something first."

* * *

It was Chat's turn for his eyes to bug out. "Come again?"

"I mean..." She gave her phone camera a shy facial expression, biting her bottom lip. "Only if you'd WANT me to... I've never done this before, but for YOU... if YOU'D want to see, Chat, sweetheart?"

Chat's jaw dropped. His brain locked up and started its reboot cycle.

"No objections?" she asked, with fluttering eyes.

As of yet, none were heard, mostly because the full implications were still being processed.

"Well, since you didn't say 'No'... Gosh!" Marinette purred. "In these pajamas, I don't have a lot of choices as to what to take off." She panned down slightly, eased a spaghetti strap off of her right shoulder, and said "I mean, there's this pajama top... I bet you'd like that, huh?"

"Marinette? What... are you... doing?" murmured Chat, his eyes gigantic.

She held the camera down by her legs. "Or these pajama bottoms. You might like it if they came off, right?" she said, huskily. "I haven't heard a 'No' yet..."

Chat was frozen in place, unable to respond in any meaningful way.

"Oh, I know what I'll take off! Here we go, Chat..." she said, excitedly...

"WAIT!" cried Chat, frantically, his pulse pounding so loud he thought he could hear it. "MARINETTE, WAIT!"

She moved the camera down to her feet... showing pink slippers on them. In one smooth series of motions, she pulled them off, flopped back onto her stomach with a huge grin, held the slippers up to the camera, and sang "Okay, I'm done! Your turn!" at Chat Noir.

* * *

Marinette savored his facial expression for about three seconds, a mixture of astonishment, disappointment and outrage, before bursting into a gigantic fit of giggles.

Chat made a _You got me_ face and then howled with laughter into his pillow. "You weren't wearing slippers before!" he accused.

"Oh, those?" she laughed. "I put them on right before I made my offer to take something off... CHAT NOIR! You _really thought_ I was going to take my pajamas off with you watching? On CAMERA?"

"I... I..." he stammered.

"YOU WERE REALLY GOING TO LET ME DO THAT!?" she admonished him, blushing hard but still grinning and laughing.

"I SAID, 'WAIT!'" he protested, weakly. "Twice!"

"Oh, Chat," she said in between bursts of giggles, "Messing with your mind was my hobby _before_ I was your girlfriend. Now it's a full-time job. And I love my job."

"It looks like turning crimson is your full-time job. You're beet red," he noted, amused. _That was twelve kinds of sneaky, Princess,_ he thought. _No way that I can let you get away with that..._

"I can't imagine why," she smiled, now much more bashful but still proud of herself for fooling him.

"Well, you got me good, Marinette. And that certainly deserves a reward..."

Chat sat the phone down on his bed, the camera pointed away from him. Marinette wondered what he was up to, until she heard him call out...

"CLAWS IN!"

* * *

Marinette saw a white flash, just off camera, then silence, the camera still pointed at Chat's bedsheets.

 _WHAT... He just... DID HE JUST...?_ Marinette's brain went into its own state of nonfunctionality.

She saw the camera move, the phone having been picked up, but still pointed away from its owner. She heard a slight rustle of clothing nearby.

A slightly disguised voice, speaking quietly, said, "Are you still there, Marinette?"

"Uh-huh..." she managed.

"This is the real me talking to you. No mask, no costume. Right now. Are you ready, Marinette? I'm turning my phone around now..."

"...Chat? I..." _Is this really happening? Is this a dream? Is Chat really going to - AAAAHHHH!_

The phone turned, slowly... panning across a bedroom wall...

"I haven't heard a 'No' yet..." he whispered.

"Ch-hat... please..." Marinette felt like she was about to pass out.

The light from the phone slowly illuminated a male figure...

...with his T-shirt pulled completely over his head, leaving her staring at nothing but plain white cotton.

Adrien heard a loud groan from his phone. He couldn't tell if it was more disappointment or relief, but he laughed just the same. "Gotcha, Princess."

"Yep, you did, and you do," she admitted. "I hope you'll keep me."

"Should I poke my head out of the shirt? I can do that," he drawled. "Only if you'd WANT me to... I haven't heard a -"

"NO. I THINK WE'VE HAD ENOUGH for one night, Chat Noir," panted Marinette. _He won this one,_ she thought. "We're even, Kitty. Call me tomorrow?"

"You know it," said Adrien. "Sweet dreams."

"Can you see through that shirt?" Marinette asked.

"A little..."

"Good," she said, blowing him a huge kiss with a big smile following it. "Sweet dreams, my love..."

"...whoever you are."

 **[Call Ended]**

* * *

Next time:

* "Oh, by the way, er, my friends think that your name is..."

* Marinette does a little more shopping.

* Adrien decides on his costume... for each identity.

* Tom and Sabine share a little pillow talk.

* Someone is keeping a closer watch...


	10. A Little Knowledge Is A Dangerous Thing

The Marinette Project, Chapter 10: A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing

* * *

Marinette came down for breakfast a bit bleary-eyed. _Not my most restful sleep ever... for some strange reason,_ she thought.

"Long night?" her mother asked, frying up some eggs.

"You could say that," Marinette said. "I've got... something on my mind. May I?"

"Go ahead," replied Sabine. "Your father won't be in for another ten or fifteen minutes, so we've got time for a little girl talk."

"Chat and I were talking last night about going public, then about his identity... and he came _this close_ to telling me. Then we were on the phone last night, and he came this close to SHOWING ME," said Marinette. She grimaced at the face her mother made and clarified, "HIS IDENTITY, I mean. Yeesh, Mom."

Sabine smirked. "I told you before, I'm sure his telling you isn't far off."

"He might not have to..." Marinette looked anxious. "I'm, like, 99% sure that I know. And he knows that because I told him so."

"How did he react to that?" asked Sabine.

"He actually transformed back while I was on the phone with him. He pranked me by having his shirt over his head when he turned the camera around."

"Hah!" her mother laughed. "I like his sense of humor."

"But we never even used to joke about that, Mom," Marinette argued. "Let alone talk about it seriously, like we did before that. And I just feel like we're going to get really awkward if we keep spending time together in both his identities."

"Can you say who you think that he is?" asked Sabine.

"Oh, you know exactly who I think it is," she grinned. "I used to think that Adrien being Chat was the ultimate in wishful thinking. Now I think it's unavoidable. He checks every single box."

"Should I just tell you who Chat is, under the mask?" Sabine smiled.

* * *

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Oh, be serious, Mom."

Sabine shrugged. _Suit yourself, then._ "What's so awkward about it?"

Marinette closed her eyes, tight. "If Adrien ISN'T Chat and he just wants to stay friends, that's perfect. But if he is, and we spend a lot of time next to each other, and we both know what we're dancing around... that's going to take a lot of willpower for us both to hold back."

"I've never seen Adrien not have control of himself," noted Sabine. "Do you expect him to? I thought you and Adrien talked things out yesterday, and got back to being just friends."

"We did," Marinette confirmed, "so if he's NOT Chat, we should be good. I've got my best friend back. But if he is... and he starts flirting with me as Adrien like he does when he's Chat... there goes my brain until I know for sure."

"If it'll give you any peace of mind, if you think he's giving you signs," suggested Sabine, "Adrien's too much of a gentleman to go after someone else's girlfriend... unless he's the someone else."

"And I'm so sure that he is! But I can't cross that line unless he does. I feel like the girl who knows her boyfriend's about to propose..."

"Which is the SECOND TIME I've heard about marriage in the last two days," Tom growled, walking into the kitchen. "Is there something I should know about?"

Marinette looked at her father, then her mother, slack-jawed.

Sabine smiled and said, "It was a joke, Marinette. Eat your eggs." She gestured at Tom and asked Marinette, "May I?"

She nodded. "Yeah, it's no big secret."

Her mother said, "Tom, we're just talking about your daughter's growing stable of gentlemen."

Marinette blew a raspberry in her direction. "And if her kitten plans on telling her who's behind the mask," she added in her father's direction. "And more to the point, whether she already knows. Which she's sure that she does. And HE knows that SHE's sure that SHE knows."

Tom furrowed his brow. "This is getting complicated already. Can I get a scorecard?"

"Chat and I are perfect together," she continued. "But we kind of have to hide it because, well, masked superhero. We're looking forward to the Masquerade because EVERYONE will be masked there, so we can be a couple in public. But he's been hinting about telling me, partly so that he can do things with me in public without drawing attention..."

"Correct me if I'm wrong..." Tom mused, "but wouldn't you STILL have to hide it, somewhat? If you're out in public kissing some boy in the daytime and your _chaton_ at night, won't people assume they're one and the same, and there goes his secret?"

"Oh!" Marinette made a thoughtful face. "That... is actually a very good point! Yes, we'll still have to be careful. That's why I haven't been screaming 'Hello, world, I'm dating Chat Noir!' yet, so that if he _does_ share his identity with me, I don't have to explain to everyone how I have two boyfriends now. He can be himself in public and Chat in private."

Tom smiled. "Makes sense," he said.

Marinette's phone buzzed with an incoming message.

 **[Adrien] Good morning! I'm thinking of going to Antoine's Costume Shop today... care to tag along?**

"First things first, I guess," she said. "Adrien wants to go shopping for Masquerade costumes... let's see if he has anything else in mind."

* * *

Marinette walked out to meet Adrien with a surprised look on her face. "You walked here AGAIN?" she asked. "Adrien! You're going to wear yourself out!"

"Hey, I can't get a learner's permit to drive until next year," he grinned. "And this way, there's nobody rushing me." _Plus, I traveled by Chat Express until I got to your block..._

"Oh, what am I going to do with you? C'mon," said Marinette, smiling from ear to ear. "Let's go dress you up."

Tom watched the pair through the shop window. As they left, he asked, "That's who she thinks he is?"

"That's him," Sabine said, noting customers around them browsing the croissants. "No names, dear."

"Oh, I know. Do you think it's true?"

"It's hard to say, dear..." _It's VERY hard to say since I'm sworn to secrecy,_ she thought.

"If he isn't, it's a shame," Tom said, watching Adrien's body language. "Adrien's hooked, big time."

"I don't think he'd argue with you on that..."

* * *

Antoine's was buzzing, which wasn't surprising - the June Masquerade was barely over a week away. Marinette and Adrien wandered the aisles, admiring this year's offerings.

"So what do you think I should pick?" asked Adrien. "So many choices..."

"It's up to you," Marinette said. "A lot of people try to pick something that's really different from their usual personality. You know, take advantage of being behind a mask and have some fun with it?"

"I know EXACTLY what you mean," Adrien said. He saw Marinette giving him a funny look and added, "...I mean, I'd like to try that too."

"Well, then! I bet we can find you something absolutely purr-fect," she giggled.

Adrien raised an eyebrow. _Did she just... naaaaah._

The next aisle had some very familiar costumes. A little too familiar. "Speaking of purr-fect... want to try on a Chat Noir, Adrien?"

"I... don't think they have my size in stock," he stammered. "How about you? I know you said you're going as a princess, but I bet you'd look great in one of those..."

"Are you kidding?" laughed Marinette. "How silly would I look in a Chat Noir costume?"

"I meant the Ladybug next to it. I'm serious!", Adrien said, seeing her flinch. "I think you'd look wonderful in that. Very natural. You've kind of got her hair, you're the right size, and you have those... bluebell eyes like hers..." _You know... the more I think about this..._

"Moooooooving on," she said, pulling Adrien along. "Mask or no mask, I'm not running around in public in a form-fitting bodystocking, so put that out of your mind, Mister."

"Or I could try on a Ladybug suit myself. You did say 'different than my usual personality...'"

Marinette covered her mouth to muffle a giant laugh. "Okay, THAT I DO want to see."

"Too late, we're in a different aisle now..." he grinned. "What do you think about... that one there?"

"Seriously?" Marinette asked. "I mean, I can kind of see it... and it would kind of fit the fairy tales theme... and it's certainly a departure from your normal personality..."

"Wait here! I've got to try it on." Adrien picked up the costume he'd pointed out and headed for the fitting room.

* * *

The door opened, and Marinette's face lit up. "That... actually works on you, Adrien!"

Adrien pranced out of the dressing room in a brightly colored jester's outfit, bells jingling with every move, a multicolored domino mask over his eyes.

"What do you think? Every princess's court needs a jester to make her laugh," he said.

"Mister Prim-and-Proper Model, bouncing like a rubber ball and telling bad jokes? I think we have a winner," beamed Marinette. "Though I can say, the more I think about it, somehow you look very natural with bells on your outfit..."

"You think so?" he grinned. "I feel like more than one bell is too many."

 _Did he just say...?_ Marinette shook her head with a smile. _These suspicions are getting the best of me._

They wandered the store some more, looking for accessories to round out their outfits. Adrien noticed a jeweled tiara in a glass case and called Marinette over. "What do you think of that?" he asked.

"Ohhhhhhh... that is spectacular!" she cooed. "The design, the sparkle... that gives me some definite ideas."

"How much is it?" wondered Adrien.

"It has to be way out of my remaining budget," Marinette admitted. She looked at the price tag and winced. "Yep, that's big-ticket by costume standards. I'm pretty sure that I can build something pretty close to that with my jewelry supplies at home, though..."

"Or I could..." began Adrien.

"...put that thought out of your mind," admonished Marinette. "I certainly didn't come with you to have you buy me expensive things!"

"You do so many things for me, Marinette," he ventured, "and I feel like I never get to pay you back for those. If I get it for you, it's not to try to win you or buy you, it's because I want to."

"I know that, Adrien! Of course! I just... no, I would feel terrible," she said. "But thank you for the offer. You're always so sweet."

Adrien made a mental note of what and where it was as they went to the counter, where he paid for the jester costume. On the way out, he said "Want to stop for some ice cream or something?"

"Sure," she giggled. "In _that_ price range, I'll let you spoil me."

* * *

Adrien and Marinette sat at a table at a nearby ice cream parlor, each enjoying a double-scoop. Marinette went with some hot fudge on hers, Adrien with a little whipped cream.

"Watching that model's figure?" she teased him.

"Kind of," he grinned. "I step on the scale at home so often, I feel like a boxer making weight for a fight sometimes. But I have to have a little fun sometimes..."

"I'm glad. This is nice, being here with you," said Marinette. "I love that we can just go out and do things like this now. I kind of... have a history with ice cream with you," she blushed. "Or ALMOST with you."

"You do?" Adrien tried to place when they'd done this together before.

"In a weird way, it's kind of how I first got closer to my boyfriend," she said. "There was a night that the group was going to Andre's..."

"Ahh," Adrien said, recognizing the reference. Andre's reputation as the most romantic ice cream vendor in all of Paris preceded him significantly. It was said that couples in love who shared his creations would stay in love forever.

"...and I was hoping beyond hope that a certain someone could make it that night, and I could share mine with him, and let that magic do its thing." Marinette batted her eyes at Adrien. "I wonder who that could have been? But your father had you locked down that night, and I acted kind of... dumb at Andre's, and I went home with a heavy heart. Next thing I knew... there he was, on my balcony. My eventual boyfriend, that is, not Andre."

Adrien jumped a little, out of recognition. _Wait - THAT night? The night I first visited Marinette, when I told her my feelings for Ladybug? Marinette was heartsick over me THAT NIGHT?_

"How, um, did he get up on your balcony?" _I kind of have to ask, because as Adrien I shouldn't know._

Marinette got quiet. "Adrien, I know I can trust you. As far as I know, only one other person knows this. Can you keep a secret for me?"

"I promise," he said.

"The guy I'm dating now... and who I think I'm in love with... is Chat Noir."

Marinette looked into Adrien's eyes _very_ intently.

* * *

Adrien did his best to act at least a little stunned by her admission, but he knew Marinette could see right through him. "That's... wonderful, Marinette! I'm very happy to hear it," he managed.

"You're looking at me like that doesn't surprise you much," she parried.

"Well... if you'd told me that a month ago, I would've been very surprised," Adrien grinned.

"Me too, actually. It's been quite a couple of weeks." She picked up another spoonful of chocolate. "But now, you're not?"

"What's to be surprised about?" said Adrien. "You're the sweetest girl I've ever known. Anyone should be attracted to that side of you. Just because I was a fool who didn't notice that you're beautiful, too..."

"I..." Marinette struggled for a moment. "You know, if you'd said THAT a month ago, I would've been lunging across this table. Or dead on the floor."

"My loss. Not yours."

"Adrien... speaking of that... I did need to talk with you about something." Marinette had a funny look in her eyes, as if she wasn't quite sure whether to take this where she'd planned to take it. "May I?"

"Please," he invited.

* * *

"When I said you were only the second person who knew about me and Chat Noir, I meant it. Alya pried it out of me, and now you. And we're all still in the dark about one thing..." Marinette paused. "Who he is under the mask. I don't even know that yet."

"Uh-huh..."

"I'm, like... 99% sure that I DO know who Chat is. Just in case you think that's interesting..."

Adrien pretended that he had a decent poker face.

"But I've also talked to him about it, and I'm not going to pressure him. So," she continued, her eyes dancing, "I suppose you're wondering what that has to do with YOU, Adrien."

 _Not really._ "Maybe a little..." he replied.

"For all I know... Chat might be you," she smiled. "We've gotten much closer these last few weeks. And I _love_ that. Whether you're him or not, I want you and need you in my life. But if you're not... and I'm not saying that you are or you aren't..."

She watched Adrien hanging on her every word. "...Please, be gentle with me," she finished, quietly.

"What do you mean?" Adrien asked.

"I mean that this time last month, I was crushing _so hard_ on you, Adrien. And for a long time before that. And we talked that out and I'm FINE with that, I promise! But... it really wouldn't take that much for me to fall for you all over again."

Marinette took a breath. "Which, if you ARE secretly Chat Noir... is perfect. Absolutely perfect. But if you're NOT him... I can't let that happen. I can't do that to my Kitty. I never want him to have a reason to doubt me."

Adrien was wide-eyed. "I wouldn't want him to, either. And I'm sure he knows that he never will." _Never crossed my mind for a microsecond._

"Heh," she laughed. "Even my mother said that. 'Adrien's too much of a gentleman to go after someone else's girlfriend... unless _he_ was the someone else.'"

He got a kick out of that. _Sharp as a whip, like I said..._

"But all I'm saying is, if you're not him... be my best friend. Be funny, be sweet, be charming. But go light on the 'you're so beautiful,' okay? I'm flattered that you think so. And kind of amazed," she laughed. "But I still need my brain to process that I'm not chasing after you any more."

"I get it. I'm sorry about that," replied Adrien. "But I want to be honest with you, too. And that means reminding you that you have every reason in the world to be confident about yourself... and to be loved."

Her soft smile told him that what he said hit home. He added, "And I'll promise you this - the day that Adrien Agreste tries to make you fall in love with him, you'll know it for sure."

"That's the problem, Adrien," she said, holding back a happy tear. "You weren't even trying before, and I couldn't help it."

* * *

Adrien and Marinette arrived back at the bakery, both with their customary grins in place. _I can't help it,_ thought Marinette. _Adrien just makes me giddy being himself, and the thought that he just might be my Kitty in disguise..._

"If you want me to make any adjustments on that costume, Adrien, I'll be happy to," she said. "Come by any time, we won't bite."

"I'll give it a long look when I get it home," he replied, "and if there's anything that needs tweaking, you're the one I'll call. You have so much talent at that kind of thing."

A car horn surprised both of them. Adrien looked up and saw Nathalie and his bodyguard at the curb.

"What are you doing here?" Adrien asked, caught off-guard.

"I thought I'd spare you a long walk," smiled Nathalie, "and SOMEONE here wanted more cream puffs." The bodyguard nodded enthusiastically with a mouthful of pastry. "I didn't want to rush you, so I figured we'd wait for you to catch up. Did you find a costume?"

"I did! I'll show you when we get back," he replied. "Marinette... another lovely day. Call me?"

"You know it," she smiled. They leaned in for a friendly hug, then he headed to the waiting car.

Marinette went inside, watching her mother smile enigmatically at her. "What?" she grinned.

"Nothing," said Sabine. "I'm glad you had a good time. He's a charming young man, no matter what he's wearing."

She caught her mother's hint. "Yeah, we talked a little about that. I let Adrien know that I'm keeping him, whether he is you-know-who or not... and hinted that I really think he IS... but if he's not, to turn down the flirting to keep me far away from temptation."

"And did he?"

"How should I know? Adrien could say 'pass the mashed potatoes' to me and it'd sound like a love poem, with that voice..." swooned Marinette. "Oh, I _so_ hope he is. But I'll behave until I know, I promise."

"That's my good girl," said Sabine. "While you're here, can you go back and help your father for a little bit? He's being stubborn today but he could use the extra hands."

"Sure!" Marinette said, putting on an apron and preparing to do battle with baked-goods-in-progress.

* * *

Adrien sat in the back seat of the car, mildly wary. Nathalie could certainly be nice when she wanted to be, but granting favors out of the blue wasn't really her usual style.

"So, Nathalie..." he began, "Did you happen to speak with my father about... someone?"

"I did," she smiled. "And believe it or not, he approves, as long as she doesn't interfere with your studies or duties."

"He DOES?" Adrien wasn't complaining... but he was surprised.

"Something about how the happier you are, the less likely he is to get a hard time about piano practice. Or to find a mysteriously empty bedroom and an open window," she grinned. "And he's also fine with you attending the Masquerade with Marinette and your other school friends."

"That's good. Especially since I just spent this much on a costume," laughed Adrien.

"So what did you get, anyway?" inquired Nathalie.

"I'll give you a hint... I'll be there with bells on."

* * *

At dinner, Marinette filled her parents in on the costume ideas in progress.

"Adrien will be a cute jester," her mother said, "and I can imagine that he'll have fun with it. Did Chat decide on his yet?"

"He's still debating, I think," said Marinette. "Adrien and I laughed about that; there were so many Chat Noir costumes at the shop that Chat could go as himself and blend right in. But he liked both my knight-in-cloth-armor and handsome prince ideas, and he LOVED that I'll be his Princess. I'll bug him tonight about it so I'll have time to work on both his and mine."

"That he'd approve of Princess Marinette, I had no doubt," grinned Tom, reaching for the broccoli. "That dress you picked out is lovely."

"I... almost added a piece to that today," Marinette replied, "but I stopped that before it happened."

"Oh?" Sabine inquired.

Marinette described the tiara, how Adrien had offered to buy it for her, and how she'd politely declined. "I can make something almost as nice for a fraction of what that one cost. He was SO sweet to offer, but I don't do that to my friends."

"Which was the right thing to do," Tom noted, "even though what it cost probably didn't mean nearly as much to him."

"That is one thing I've always liked about Adrien," Marinette said. "His family has money, but he never flaunts it, ever. He's like the anti-Chloe. He really just wanted to do something nice for me, but that was far too much money. Ice cream, though, THAT I let him buy."

"Ooh! Where did you two go?" her mother asked. "Andre's?"

"Solomon's Ice Cream Parlour, not Andre's," she replied. "Not only was Andre not out today, as far as I know, but Andre's has a certain... romantic reputation, you know? If I'm going to put that magic in play, I'm going with Chat. And speaking of, I may lure him over tonight, so I'm giving you advance warning on that so that bumps on the roof don't startle you."

"Costume talk?" her mother asked.

"Necking?" said her father.

"Why not both?" grinned Marinette, trying not to turn red.

* * *

In his room, Adrien modeled the jester costume for Nathalie. "I might have Marinette make an adjustment here and here, but it's pretty close to where I want it already," he noted. "Pretty decent quality for store-bought."

"We certainly could've had something made for you," Nathalie said. "But then you couldn't have gone shopping with your girlfriend, hmmm?"

"Very true," he smiled, then added, "Though I don't want you getting the wrong idea. I am thrilled that Marinette and I are getting so close... but she is a very close friend of mine, not my girlfriend. Not at the moment, at least."

"I wouldn't have guessed that from your body language, or hers. Hadn't she been admiring you for most of the year?" she asked.

Adrien's face fell. "Even YOU knew that?"

Nathalie looked quite surprised. "You didn't? I'd never even been introduced to the girl, and I could tell just by watching her."

"I really didn't... until this past week when we talked it out. Nathalie, I wanted to jump off a building when I found out! She was SO sweet and SO forgiving about it, but I know that I hurt her so much by missing a million hints and signs from her."

He sat on the piano bench, his mood visibly contradicting his festive attire. "She has always been a wonderful friend. She was one of the first friends I made at school, and she's always been so good to me. I just want to do anything I can to make it up to her, for my being such a fool for months."

"Now I'm a little confused," Nathalie said. "She was in love with you, now you know about it, but she's NOT your girlfriend?"

"She has... someone she's seeing at the moment," he said, a little cautiously. "And that's not a line I'd ever cross. Time will tell on that, but even as just a friend she fascinates me."

"Fair enough. I take it you'll be continuing to court her... unofficially in the meantime?" suggested Nathalie.

"I guess you could call it that, even if I'm not trying to be romantic right now," Adrien replied. "I just want to be with her, on her terms. She has the most beautiful smile in the world, and I like being someone who can bring it out for her."

Nathalie smiled - even she had a soft side, it seemed. "Let me know if there are things we can do to help," she said. "Good luck with the Masquerade!"

"I have a feeling that it'll be memorable," said Adrien, thoughtfully...

* * *

A few minutes later, Adrien was changing out of his costume when his Chat-phone buzzed. He found a picture message from Marinette, showing two lounge chairs side-by-side on her balcony, with a sign reading THIS SPACE RESERVED on the one on the right.

 _Looks like my evening's been planned for me... no complaints here._

He sent back:

 **[Chat Noir] We might only need one of those.**

The reply didn't take long:

 **[Marinette] The second one's there in case the first one wears out.**

 _Ohhhh... she's GOOD,_ he grinned.

* * *

As Chat expected, when he arrived at Marinette's house to see her that evening, he had absolutely no problems with the greeting he received, the company he kept or the seating arrangements.

"So..." Marinette asked, once things returned to a slow simmer, "Have you made any decisions about the Masquerade yet?"

"I have, actually," said Chat. "A couple... and I think you'll like them. First off, the more I think about it, the more I like your Knight idea. The concept sketch you showed me for the 'soft armor' has a lot of possibilities, I know you can make it look fantastic, and every Princess needs a handsome knight to keep her safe from dragons..."

"How many dragons are you expecting at the Masquerade?" she laughed.

"Oh, I think one would be more than enough, don't you?"

"I guess so. Depends on how fireproof we're feeling when it happens. I'll get to work on it," Marinette said. "I have your measurements, and we can accessorize it however you like. We could give you a sword and shield, or just extend your baton a bit and put a fake hilt on it... and if we make you a helmet, that'll help disguise your features. People won't ask 'Why does that medieval knight have a Chat Noir mask on?' all night."

"Plus, big glowy green eyes through a helmet visor will look nicely spooky," Chat added. "Cool! Let me know what I can do to help, or if you just need me to stand there and be a mannequin."

"If I'm draping anything over you, it'll probably be me," winked Marinette. "What else are you thinking?"

"Well... I've been thinking a lot about what we've talked about lately. About you and me. And the other me."

"You... have my complete attention," she responded.

"Marinette," Chat began, "I _really_ want to have you in my life as much as I possibly can. And that means out of costume, too. I know that I can trust you completely. But I also want to make this special for us - you're the only person I ever plan on doing this with. So, I was thinking..."

He watched Marinette's face light up, eagerly. "Let's do the Masquerade together like we planned, the Princess and her Knight. And at the end of the night, when we're alone together, wherever we end up, here or there... you take off your mask, and I'll take off mine. All of them. Once and for all."

"Are you sure, sweetie?" she asked him. "REALLY sure? You can't take this back once you've done it. This is BIG."

"I know it is," he said. "But you're more than worth it. Someone... reminded me of what it would be like to not have to steal moments with you, to go anywhere and do anything with you as myself. I really need that to happen, Marinette. Very soon. So let's do it, and let's do it right."

She embraced him, overwhelmed. "Chat... I hope you know just how happy I am! I'll promise you this - the reward will be worth it. Though you might decide that you like me better with my mask ON..."

"That, I find hard to believe," he said.

"We'll see," she replied, grinning from ear to ear, and held him even tighter.

* * *

"So, in the meantime... I'll behave if you will," Chat grinned back. "I'll keep my mask on, or at least my T-shirt over my head, and you'll keep your pajamas on?"

"CHAT!" Marinette hissed. He didn't even have to turn his head to know she was blushing hard; he felt the heat rush to her face, next to his. "I can't believe I even pretended to do that..."

"YOU couldn't believe it? I nearly had a stroke," laughed Chat. "I don't even want to know what my face looked like that whole time, do I?"

"No, you don't," she giggled. "Mostly shocked, with a bit of _extremely_ interested mixed in, which I'll admit was quite the ego boost..."

"You are very beautiful, Marinette," he replied, completely seriously. "I'm sure that every bit of you is just as beautiful... but I don't need to find that out right away. That's... not the reward you were talking about, is it?"

"It isn't..." Now she was SERIOUSLY blushing. "...And thank you for not assuming that it was," she said, sheepishly.

"We're only fourteen, and we've been together, what, about a week? Let's not rush that kind of thing," Chat smiled. "Whatever we build up to, eventually, we build up to. Besides, I kind of have to tell you my identity before we'd even think about anything steamy - as far as I know, most of my costume can't come off unless I transform. Only the belt is detachable."

 _Now here's a question I'd never thought to ask before,_ thought Marinette. "So, then, how do you... um... use the litter box?"

Chat got a funny look on his face. "Well, I've never had a problem with it before... but now that you mentioned it, I don't know how I'll ever do it again!"

He saw Marinette's facial expression and added, "...Kidding. Old comic book joke. Trust me, I manage."

* * *

Shortly afterwards, Chat said, "If we're going to do this... and I WANT to do this... I have a question, too."

"Shoot," said Marinette.

"Who knows about 'us' so far? I'm working out how to manage my secret identity with other people who know us." he asked. "I mean, your parents, obviously, and if I tell you, you can tell them as long as THEY keep my secret. Our relationship would get crazy in a hurry if they didn't know and suddenly you were dating both my identities." _We're already halfway there, anyway,_ he grinned to himself.

"I did tell Alya, or rather, I let her pry it out of me. So that will be fun to explain to her, but we'll figure out how to handle that. I told my friend Adrien today... but him, I would trust with my life."

 _Is Chat... BLUSHING at that?_ she giggled inside. _Don't make it TOO easy for me to guess, honey!_

"And then, the other night with the girls when we were making Masquerade plans, I, um... oh, boy," stammered Marinette. "I, uh, really need to tell you something. They knew just from the glow around me that I was seeing someone, and they wanted to know who he was. So I told them that..." she trailed off.

"...that you were seeing Adrien?" Chat anticipated.

"Nnnnnnnno... though that's who they all suspected immediately. My throwing myself at Adrien for months wasn't much of a secret," she smiled. "They even helped me with some of my crazier schemes to get his attention. So, yeah, they all asked 'IS IT ADRIEN?' and I said no."

"So who DID you tell them you were dating?" asked Chat, looking confused.

"You... kind of have another secret identity now," Marinette said, with a _Please don't kill me_ expression...

* * *

"My name is CHAD?"

Chat Noir looked like he was both amused and horrified by this development. "Chad Black?"

"Alya started it!" protested Marinette. "I just followed her lead. It was either that or the old 'he lives in Canada, you wouldn't know him' bit that never works."

Chat busted up laughing. "No, this works, it's just that... 'Chad?' I feel like I should be wearing an ascot or something. 'Hullo, my name is Chad, have you met Muffy?'"

"It's only temporary!" Marinette said. "One night only, and you'll be under a mask, and that under a costume! I just didn't want you to come with us to the Masquerade and have Rose and Juleka say 'Hi, Chad!' and have you caught off guard."

"Do I need to do, like, a New England accent?" giggled Chat. "I am Chadwick Q. Black the Third, it's so wunnnderful to meet you, lovey."

"That depends. Do you want me to run and hide?"

"I'm kidding, Marinette. I totally get it, and that was a pretty clever way to cover for me," he reassured her.

"Now... I'm not so sure," she worried.

"What do you mean?"

"What if you really ARE named Chad under the mask?" she grinned. "Some trust fund boy with an ascot and a... HEY!"

Chat lunged at her, intent on tickling that thought right out of her mind.

Once she caught her breath, Marinette said, "After the Masquerade, it won't matter. I'll have a handsome new boyfriend to tell them all about, one that I can show off in public. And then when we're alone, I'll have my Kitty to cuddle with. And did I mention one of my Mom's other visitation rules for you?"

"Not sure. Which one?"

"She calls it 'Don't Scandalize the Neighbors.' If things get... 'friskier' was her word... she said to take it downstairs so the neighborhood doesn't get a free show."

"Smart lady," admired Chat. "But I've said that before."

"Which reminds me," flirted Marinette, "I think I left something down in my room. Would you help me look for it?"

"It would be my pleasure, Princess."

"That's a pretty safe bet."

* * *

Back at the Agreste mansion, Nathalie gave Gabriel another update about the situation.

"There's something... slightly off about the whole thing, but I can't quite put my finger on it," Nathalie ventured. "This girl was head-over-heels for Adrien for months, he only noticed her as a friend, and now suddenly she's seeing someone else and her roles with Adrien are completely reversed. He's in love - anyone can see that - and she's keeping him friendly. Teenage emotions can be flighty, but this just seems odd, and I don't know that I'll ever get the whole story."

Gabriel nodded, "Go on."

"On the plus side, she seems impossibly sweet from Adrien's descriptions. She's certainly not using him for his money - if anything, she's RESISTING when he wants to spoil her. I still think she'd be a great match for Adrien, but we'll see how this drama plays out. And if you're still planning on using the Masquerade to draw out Ladybug and Chat Noir, you can have your villain watch for a jester and a princess together and avoid them, as that's the costumes they've chosen."

"Good to know. Yes, I think that will go on as planned. With all the crowds and noise and confusion, it shouldn't be hard for my villain du jour to catch Ladybug and Chat Noir at a disadvantage."

He stood up. "Thank you, Nathalie, that will be all for now. Please continue to monitor this. I have a week to plan out one of my... special lessons for Paris's heroes."

* * *

Tom and Sabine laid side-by-side in their bedroom, preparing for a good night's sleep.

"So... do you think that Marinette has a good handle on this situation?" Tom asked. "Her _chaton_ is crazy about her, but so is Adrien. What are the chances that her two blonde boys are really one?"

"Pretty... good, I think? I can't really say," Sabine evaded.

"...Why can't you really say?" asked Tom, perceptively. "Do you know something that I don't?"

"...I might."

"Oh, now I have to ask," grinned Tom, sitting up. " _Mon amour,_ what did you do?"

"I may have... stumbled upon it by accident the other day," she admitted. "I said something, he said something, we both looked at each other, he asked 'How did you know?', I said 'You just told me.' It wasn't completely intentional on my part. And I still can't believe that he ADMITTED IT to me! I felt so bad for him; you should have seen the look on his face."

"Well! Remind me not to play poker against you, dear. IS he Adrien?" he asked.

"I can't tell you that," Sabine replied. "I am sworn to secrecy. I'm only the second person who knows the full truth... and Marinette isn't the first."

Tom blinked. "THAT I did not expect. She really doesn't know?"

"Not for sure," said Sabine. "She's positive that she's deduced it, but there's still that twinkling of doubt until he tells her or shows her himself."

"And is she barking up the right tree?"

Sabine winked. "Do you think she is?"

"Like I said earlier, I certainly hope so. They're both marvelous young men. It'll be so much easier for her if they're one and the same."

"Things may be resolved soon, I think," Sabine assured him. "I've spoken with him since then, and he's sincere that he wants her to know. Relationships are so much easier without secrets complicating them."

"Mmm-hmmm." Tom grinned. "So I should go ahead and tell you that I'm Hawkmoth?"

"Go to sleep, you..."

* * *

Next time:

* Final preparations for the big event... costume tinkering, identity managing, assault-on-a-public-event-by-a-supervillain planning, travel arrangements, all the normal kinds of things one expects from a Masquerade, right?


	11. Pins and Needles

The Marinette Project, Chapter 11: Pins and Needles

* * *

Marinette heard a gentle knock on her open door, distracting her slightly from the jewelry under construction on her table. "Come on in!" she called, without looking up.

She heard a plate and glass being sat down near her. "That is beautiful, Marinette," her mother chided, "but it'll be just as beautiful after lunch."

"Thank you, Mom," said Marinette, gratefully. "I know, I didn't come down for lunch with you and Dad, I was just caught up in this... I want to get this one part just right."

Sabine admired the tiara-in-progress. "Very nice. Is that like the one you said that Adrien wanted to buy for you?"

"Uh-huh!" she grinned. "It's pretty close to that. Not QUITE as sparkly - I can't afford crystals quite like that one had on it - but I redid this part here with my own design, see?"

"I like that," admired Sabine. "Between working on that and all the sewing you've been doing, I've barely seen you since Monday! How close are you to being ready?"

"I'm... well, I'm sure I'll keep tinkering with little things until about three minutes before the Masquerade, but I'm mostly done," she replied. "Mylène asked me if I could make a minor alteration to her dress, I've got Chat's 'armor' just about right... Is there anything I can help you or Dad with?"

"Actually... since you're offering... I _was_ hoping to ask you about a tiny favor or two for our costumes. But only if you're sure it's all right...?"

"I can always make time for you and Dad! Don't be silly," Marinette smiled. "What do you need?"

Sabine showed her a rough drawing on some scrap paper. "My dress, I just want to do this here... a tiny change, like this? And for your father, do you think you can make something simple like this? I really don't want to take up your time if you're busy with your own things."

"No problem, Mom! Those are both really easy. I can probably knock them both out in an hour. Let me know if I can do anything else besides that."

"Oh, I think we're pretty well set," said Sabine. "We don't go all-out like we did when we were your age, but even in simpler costumes we still love going to the Masquerade together. Can I see how your dress is coming along?"

Marinette went over to her closet and pulled out the gown she'd been adjusting. "Voila," she beamed, holding it over herself.

Sabine whistled appreciatively. "You're going to spend half the night holding Chat's jaw up off the ground. That is gorgeous! You'll be able to move all right in it, too?"

"Definitely. The bottom is poofy enough that I have lots of legroom, and I've got a pair of low heels for it that look like glass slippers. I can walk around and dance all night, and I'll have a pair of simple flats in my clutch in case they do get uncomfortable. I want this whole night to be perfect, especially with how it's going to end..."

* * *

"The big secret at last, hmmm?" Sabine's grin was huge. "Good for you!"

"I knooooooooow!" Marinette trilled, pulling her arms up to her chest and closing our eyes. "I cannot WAIT! I mean, everything is already SO good with Chat..."

"So I've heard," winked Sabine.

"You... _what?"_

"Sound travels when the house is quiet, dear, even with your door shut. At least I know you're obeying the 'Don't scandalize the neighbors' rule."

Marinette debated which shade of red her face should become, and settled on maroon.

"Oh, stop," her mother laughed. "We talked about this. Not only do I know you two kiss and cuddle, I've encouraged it. Did I come up and investigate?"

"No, you didn't..." Marinette said.

"Then I haven't heard anything too incriminating yet, have I?"

"Uh, no," she grinned. "And I don't think you will any time soon, but thank you, regardless." _MENTAL NOTE: LOWER MY SQUEAL VOLUME DRAMATICALLY!_ she thought.

"So if you're right about who he is... will Adrien get a turn at kissing and cuddling, once he's unmasked for you?"

"You have NO IDEA," breathed Marinette, then realized what she'd just said. "Uh, let me just change that to a simple 'Yes.'" Sabine was enjoying this conversation a little too much for Marinette's liking.

"Somehow I figured that," her mother laughed. "Do you think it'll be all right if we tell your father, once you know?"

"I'll ask Chat, but I would imagine he'd go with it just for the sake of making things easier for us." Marinette paused. "Wait, just Dad? Don't you want to know, too?"

It was Sabine's turn to pick out a lovely shade of red. "I, um..."

* * *

"Mom, YOU KNOW?" boggled Marinette. "For sure? For REAL?"

Sabine nodded, sheepishly. "I didn't mean to, but I do. I found out a couple of days ago by accident."

Marinette's mouth hung open. "What did you DO?"

"I had a suspicion, I set a tiny little trap that wasn't SUPPOSED to catch him! But it did," she replied. "I'll tell you about it after the Masquerade. You'll die laughing."

"And you haven't told ME?"

"Would you really want me to, dear? Especially if he's going to do it for real a few days from now?" Sabine asked.

"I... guess not," admitted Marinette. "But... holy crap, Mom. How did he react when you found out?"

"I think we both needed new pants," her mother laughed. "We both had a _Did THAT just happen_? look on our faces, then I went YOU! C'MERE! and dragged him aside so we could talk about it. Then the other day, when you had your really tough day and Chat came and checked on you... when you were asleep, he came over and we talked again. He's fine with it; he knows he can trust me to keep it to myself until he wants others to know."

"Dad doesn't know?"

"Not for sure. He thinks he's guessed it, just like you're sure you have."

"Are... either of us right?" she asked, hesitantly. "IS Chat Adrien?"

"Same question. Would you really want me to tell you that right here, right now before he can tell you himself?"

"No, but..." Marinette banged her fist on the table gently, but grinned while doing so. "Nnnnrrrrgh! It's just so... frustrating to be this close!"

"Let me put it this way, Marinette. Do you think I'd be teasing you like this, if I didn't know that when you do find out yourself, you will be absolutely delighted by who it is?"

"No," grinned Marinette, "and I think that tells me exactly what I need to know about what you know."

"Yes, you and Mayor Bourgeois will make a LOVELY couple."

"OKAY! I'm going to go rinse my brain out with bleach now, Mom, thank you very much..."

"Oh, hey!" Sabine said, "Now that I'm thinking of it, that day I was talking about just now, your really tough day? I wasn't going to pick on you at the time, but do you usually keep your earrings on the floor?"

Marinette froze. "No... why?"

"I found a pair of yours there on the rug. Little ladybug-shaped earrings. Chat nearly stepped on them before I put them on your computer desk."

 _WHEW!_ she sighed in relief. _That answers that question;_ _Chat didn't find them. Not that it would matter that much soon, but..._

"Oh, yeah! I was looking for those," Marinette ventured. "I was wondering how they got there."

"Just be more careful next time. They would hurt a lot to step on. Actually... I really liked their design. Can I borrow them sometime?"

"Ummmm..." _No, unless you really want to meet Tikki?_ "Let me think on that, I'm usually wearing them myself," she managed.

"Really? Usually, I see you with black ones on," Sabine replied.

"Well, um... if you see them lying around, just ask first, okay? I'm pretty attached to those," said Marinette.

"Fair enough, dear," Sabine smiled as she left.

Marinette mentally pictured her mother yo-yoing across the rooftops of Paris and giggled. _I can just imagine what her reaction would be to meeting a Kwami up close, too..._

* * *

Later in the afternoon, Marinette checked in with some of her girlfriends on her phone.

 **[Marinette] Mylène's coming over in about ten for me to work on her dress. Do you need any sewing?** she sent to Alya.

 **[Alya] Not really, but can I come over and hang out instead?**

 **[Marinette] Sure! Like I'd turn you away.**

A little while later, Alya popped her head in the door of Marinette's room and greeted Marinette and Mylène **.** "Beauty and the Beast, I see?" she said, looking at the dress in Marinette's hands.

"Which of us are you calling a beast?" asked Mylène, with a laugh.

"Nothing but us beauties here," agreed Marinette. "Now we just need a big, hairy Gaston."

"I kind of wanted to stick to the original fairy tale versions," Mylène said, "but there's not that much visually to go on from that, and everyone's going to say 'Oh! You're Belle!' anyway... so we figured, fine, we'll Disney it. What did you and Nino decide on, Alya?"

"Little Red Riding Hood and her Big Bad Wolf," she grinned. "I talked him out of MC L'il Red and DJ BB Wolf, but it wasn't easy."

"Hah! Sounds like Nino," Marinette laughed. "I'm glad your fashion sense prevailed. Who else has decided?"

"Let's see..." began Mylène. "Juleka and Rose are doing Snow White and Rose Red, and oh! you HAVE to see Rose's Snow White, she's absolutely gorgeous! Though we had to keep explaining to Rose that this isn't the Snow White with the seven dwarves."

"Rose isn't Rose Red? Uh-oh. Operation: Secret Garden all over again," Alya chuckled.

"Ah, she's so cute, she can get away with it," Mylène said. "Kim is bringing his new girlfriend, and they're doing the Little Mermaid and her Prince... Alix wants to be Pippi Longstocking, which is KIND of a modern fairy tale, I guess... but what the heck, it fits her so perfectly, who could tell her no anyway? I heard Max is doing Geppetto and his little robot will be Pinocchio..."

"HAH! I have to see that," Alya laughed. "So, Miss Princess... who's your handsome prince going to be?"

"Actually, I'm princeless, though not without companionship," Marinette replied. "Chad..." she said, getting a huge grin from Alya, "is going to be my stalwart and valiant knight. I'm making cloth armor up for him..." She went to the closet and pulled out Chat's costume-in-progress.

"Oh, that's nice!" Alya and Mylène both marveled over her handiwork. "It's not all, like, clunky and metal but it really looks like it ought to be! He can actually move in that."

"I'm finishing up a helmet to go with it, he's making up a lance. Blunt, of course, so we can actually bring it to the Masquerade grounds," she said. "He likes what he's seen of it so far."

"Do we get to meet him without the mask?" asked Mylène. "We're all dying to know what the guy who won your heart is like."

"We'll... see," Marinette evaded, trying not to look directly at Alya's knowing grin. "He might have to leave early."

"What about your other handsome prince, Marinette?" Alya added, getting a dirty look from Marinette.

"You mean Adrien?" she asked.

"Who else?" laughed Alya. "Let me guess... you're a Princess, so you're painting him green, and he'll be your Pea!"

"He's about as observant as a vegetable sometimes..." Mylène chuckled.

Alya giggled, "And then to see if you're a real Princess, you can have him lie down, and you can..."

 _"_ _Alya Césaire!_ You are HORRIBLE!" stammered Marinette, causing Alya and Mylène to laugh uproariously. "I have a BOYFRIEND!"

"Maybe he wouldn't mind...?" suggested Alya.

Marinette mouthed _THAT'S JUST YOUR THEORY!_ at Alya, getting a slightly strange look from Mylène. "Anyway, I was with Adrien when he got his costume. He's going as a Court Jester."

"Awwww, devoted to making you smile..." Mylène said. "What about... you-know-who?"

"Who, Chloè? Oh, she'll be there. I don't think anyone invited her to be part of our group, but she pried what we're doing out of somebody. Kim says he saw her at Antoine's the other day, looking for Goldilocks costumes, and Sabrina looked REALLY unhappy about shopping for a bear suit. They left empty-handed, so maybe she's sticking with going as dolled up as possible." replied Alya. "Marinette, she's going to have an ABSOLUTE BIRD if she's not the most glamorous princess at the Masquerade!"

"Then she's going to grow wings," grinned Marinette, opening her closet again. "This is what I'm working on..."

* * *

Alya's jaw dropped as she studied Marinette's dress and tiara. "THAT... is..." she trailed off. "WOW!"

"We HAVE to see it on you!" exclaimed Mylène. "Please, Marinette!"

"Oh..." she blushed. "Just a minute, then." She kicked off her shoes and headed for the bathroom with the dress and tiara. "I might need a little help with the back when I return," she called out to Alya.

Soon after, Marinette emerged, shyly, padding into the room backwards. "Can you lace this up for me, Alya?" she asked.

Alya did as requested, and a moment later, all was ready and Marinette performed some slow twirls.

"Holy CRAP, girl!" breathed Alya.

"You are absolutely stunning, Marinette!" Mylène agreed. "Chloè will look like a Raggedy Ann doll compared to you."

"I'm not trying to compete with her, but I sure hope so," giggled Marinette. "You really like it?"

"You are going to BREAK. SOME. HEARTS," Alya managed. "Adrien's bells are going to fly off and land in Germany, for one."

"We're not just saying that because you're our friend and Chloè is a brat, Marinette... this is PERFECT on you!" Mylène answered. "It picks up every curve you have without flaunting them too much, the little ruffles... the lace... everything's in just the right amount. It's like you were made for it."

"Marinette? I'm dead serious about this," said Alya. "Make sure Adrien gets a video of this, from every angle, and shows it to his father. Gabriel Agreste will HIRE you as a designer just from this."

"Come on, Alya, be real," argued Marinette. "It's not like I designed and made this from scratch; I bought it and made a few alterations, that's all. And the tiara's not even finished yet."

"You had the eye to find that dress in the first place. Then you took that good idea as your starting point and made it all your own," Mylène replied. "And did it again, with the tiara. I wish I had half your creativity because then he'd hire ME."

"Thank you," Marinette sighed, sincerely. "I really want to look my best on Saturday. It's going to be a very special night."

Alya raised an eyebrow. "Special, as in..."

"Mind out of the gutter, Alya, nothing like that," grinned Marinette. "Let's just say that Chad and I might be... sharing some secrets."

Mylène watched Alya's face, then frowned as Alya's mouth formed an _OHHHH!_ shape. "There's something here that I don't know about, isn't there? Some private joke?" she asked, hand on hip.

* * *

Marinette took a moment to come to a decision. Finally, she said, "There is, Mylène. And I'm willing to share it, in just a minute. Let me go change first before I mess this dress up..."

Mylène and Alya unlaced her, and watched as Marinette retreated to the bathroom to switch outfits again.

"Is she all right? Is there something weird, or wrong with Chad?" Mylène asked, concerned.

"No, maybe, and no. You'll see," counseled Alya.

Mylène looked unconvinced.

Marinette returned in her normal outfit, hung up the dress and tiara, and knelt down in front of where Mylène was sitting. "What I am about to tell you is a HUGE secret, okay?" she said, with a stern face. "Nobody gets told this. Not Ivan, not Juleka and Rose, _nobody._ Is that fair?"

"Y-yes?" Mylène stammered. "I promise."

"Mylène... his name's not Chad Black. But his name's not Adrien Agreste, either," began Marinette. "And you're going to kick yourself when you put these pieces together."

"I'm listening," said Mylène.

"What's French for 'black'?" Marinette asked, gently. "Plug that in instead of Black."

"Noir?" Mylène muttered. "Chad Noir? Chad Noir..."

 _Three... two... one..._

* * *

"OH, WHAT THE HECK?!" Mylène gasped, recoiling, her eyes huge.

"Shhhhh!" said Alya and Marinette, together.

"Are you SERIOUS?" Mylène said in a low voice. "The SUPERHERO?"

"Yes," Marinette assured her. "THAT Chat Noir. My kittycat," she giggled.

"Do... we know him?" Mylène asked, awestruck. "Is he one of our classmates, or something?"

"I can't tell you that, because I honestly don't know for sure," Marinette said. "For obvious reasons, he keeps that a very big secret. Even I haven't been told yet."

"But... he's going to? Is that what you were hinting at?" asked Alya, wide-eyed.

"He... might. And even if he does, I can't share that, also for obvious reasons!" exclaimed Marinette. "Part of me is really WORRIED about knowing, and it's not for sure that it'll happen yet. So NEITHER of you make any assumptions, okay? He could be just about anyone underneath."

"Marinette, talk to me! What's he LIKE underneath, at least? How did this happen?" asked Mylène. "I'm processing this, I'd love some context."

Marinette gave Mylène an abbreviated version of the story - how she and Chat had met, how sweet and sensitive he is underneath, how the candlelight dinner and punting boat ride she'd spoken of previously were both completely true.

"What about Ladybug? Won't she be jealous?" Mylène wondered.

"Actually, no! I've met Ladybug... she's a sweetheart, and she gave us her blessing. I think she's happy to get a break from Chat throwing himself at her," laughed Marinette. "But they're still the best of friends and partners and any time duty calls, I told him, that comes first."

"Wow. It's just so... unbelievable! I mean, I _believe_ you, Marinette, but..."

"Before the whole Stoneheart thing, would you have believed that Ivan was the one for you, Mylène?" asked Alya. "Or before that day in the zoo cage with Nino, I wasn't into him at all that way. Sometimes these things just happen suddenly, especially for teenagers like us."

"Good point. Marinette, I'm so happy for you!" Mylène exclaimed. "Though I feel so bad for Adrien."

"You DO?" asked Marinette, with her face screaming _what._

"Without you there trying to win his heart, Chloè will be on him like white on rice," chuckled Mylène. "He won't know a moment's peace."

"Hah! He's still my really good friend. I'll do anything I can to run interference for him," Marinette laughed. "Plus, he's been deflecting her for so long that it's second nature for him by now..."

"Not a word, okay?" Alya reminded Mylène. "We three are the only ones in our class who know. Let's keep it that way. I love Rose to death, but can you imagine her trying to keep this secret?"

"Hahahahaha!" Mylène laughed. "She'd burst into a million little rainbow sparkles trying. I'll keep it to myself, I promise."

"But in return for keeping your secret," Alya grinned, "I do need to know one thing from you, Marinette."

"And that is... what?" asked Marinette, with some foreboding. She knew that grin too well.

"Do his cat ears wiggle when you kiss?"

 _No getting out of this one,_ Marinette thought, looking at the two rapt faces before her.

"Now, Alya, what makes you think that I could possibly answer that question _yes, they absolutely do_. You should see what his tail does."

To their astonished faces, she added, "On second thought, maybe you shouldn't..."

* * *

Adrien took one last look over his jester costume. It looked very good on him, but he felt like he wanted it to be absolutely perfect. That, and it made for a very convenient excuse to pull out his phone and ask to see Marinette again...

 **[Adrien] Hi! I'm debating about a minor tweak to my jester suit. Do you have any availability?**

The response was quick:

 **[Marinette] I'm working on Mylène's dress right now with her and Alya. If you don't mind girl talk, come on over!**

 **[Adrien] You're not going to have me model that, are you?**

 **[Marinette] I wasn't, until you just put that idea in my head... How do you look in taffeta?**

 **[Adrien] I guess there's only one way to find out...**

* * *

Marinette's room erupted in giggles at the concept.

Mylène smiled, "I never thought I'd see the day when Adrien was chasing you and you were flirting back, Marinette."

She smiled back. "Well, now that I'm off the market, so to speak, it takes so much pressure off of me with him. And he is still sooooo sweet."

"Sweet enough to try on Mylène's dress?" Alya joked.

"Maybe not. But sweet enough to come over even when we're threatening that..." said Marinette.

* * *

A little while later - suspiciously fast for a non-Chat Noir person, if you asked Alya, which Marinette tried to avoid doing right then - a familiar blonde head poked through Marinette's doorway.

"Welcome to the party!" called Alya. "Hold still, we'll do your makeup and your hair in just a minute."

"Unfortunately, I know _exactly_ what that's like. You'd be better at it than my photoshoot people are," laughed Adrien. "Hi, Marinette, everyone!"

"Hello, Adrien," Marinette replied, doing her best not to flutter. "Glad you could make it! So what can we do for you?"

"I had a minor adjustment I was thinking of for my costume. I was hoping I could show you and we could tweak it quickly..." he said.

"Sure! The bathroom's nearby, just slip into it, and we'll take a look," smiled Marinette.

"You want me to... model it? Right now?" asked Adrien.

Mylène laughed, "Well, you ARE a model, right? Hop to it, Mr. Model."

Alya said, "It's that or Mylène's dress, take your pick," which sent Adrien scurring off with his jester suit in hand.

"Well, that was easy," Mylène said.

"What else do you think we can make him wear?" Marinette asked.

"Do you have anything in black leather in your closet?" suggested Alya, getting a dirty look in return from Marinette.

"Do I _look_ like someone who would have black leather in her closet?" she glared.

"It's the quiet ones you have to watch," Mylène giggled.

A voice called from outside the room, accompanied by jingling bells. "Well, then, don't watch me, because here I come."

* * *

Adrien pranced in, bells jangling, a nervous smile on his face. "So... what do you think?"

"I don't know, Adrien. Didn't you say you were putting on a costume?" Marinette asked.

"Ohhh!" laughed Alya, while Mylène's jaw dropped.

"Ha, ha," smirked Adrien. "No, really. I'm pretty happy with it, but what do you think we can do with this here?" he asked, pointing out how part of the sleeves fit him.

"You want that tightened up a little? I can do that, sure. Come here," Marinette beckoned.

Adrien came over and stood still as she readied a needle and thread. "You're going to stitch it while he's wearing it?" marveled Mylène.

"Her hands, I trust," he smiled. "I doubt Marinette would ever puncture me on purpose."

"Of course not! Where would I ever find another one of you?" said Marinette, stitching carefully. "It took me this long to be able to speak whole sentences to you, I'm not starting all over with a newer model."

"So I guess I'm last year's model, then?" Adrien said, trying to hold perfectly still.

"Oh, you have plenty of resale value left, don't worry," grinned Marinette.

Mylène looked at Alya. _Do you believe these two?_ she mouthed.

Alya mouthed back, _Maybe they got married and just didn't tell us._

* * *

A short time later, Adrien's costume was exactly how he wanted it. "Thank you, Marinette. Excellent work, as always."

Alya said, "If you think that's good, wait 'til you see what she did with HER dress!"

"I'd like to, actually... if you'd let me," Adrien said, his attention captured.

"I... guess?" Marinette said, a bit flustered. "I'm not ready to model it again, but I can at least show you what I did with it..."

She pulled the dress out of the closet and showed front and back to Adrien, who was visibly impressed. "Whoa! Marinette, that is something really special! I can only imagine how good it looks on you."

"If you'd been here half an hour ago, you would've seen it," Mylène noted. "And it's like she and it were made for each other."

"I suggested to her that your father might like to see it," Alya said, drawing a shush from Marinette that she ignored. "Don't you think so, Adrien?"

"Let me put it this way... he's always had an eye for new talent, and you have more than anyone else I know, Marinette," Adrien replied. "I won't force you to, but if you'd want me to, we can get pictures of you in it at the Masquerade and I could show him those. I DO think he'd be very impressed, especially coming from someone still in school."

"I... uh... maybe? That would be..." The concept threw Marinette for a loop. "You really think so?"

"He knows of you already, from the derby hat competition. If he sees something like this, you'd go up ten notches in his esteem in a heartbeat! He'd recognize the original form and pick out every improvement you made. I'm not saying that he'll be, like, 'Marinette, you're my new lead designer!' overnight... but if you'd want me to, he definitely ought to see this! It really might open some doors for you in his company."

"You'd do that for me, Adrien?" boggled Marinette.

"What wouldn't I do for you?" he smiled, and for a moment the old Marinette came back and started melting onto the floor. She gathered her composure quickly, but thought, _Once I know for sure that you're my Kitty, Adrien, you're not going to know what hit you on our next date..._

* * *

"So... are you coming with us to the Masquerade or meeting us there, Adrien?" asked Alya.

"I can come with you, sure," he replied. "Where are you all meeting up?"

"We'll pick one of our houses and sort of migrate from there. Everyone's parents will want pictures, so we're making the rounds," Mylène said.

"That sounds good! Text me who's the starting point and I'll have my driver drop me there," Adrien decided.

"Or you could just wait for us here that night," added Alya, slyly.

"Also a good option," said Adrien, giving Marinette a big smile.

"Marinette, is... Chad also coming with us?" asked Mylène, eager to join in the game now that she knew the ground rules.

Marinette thought fast. _If Adrien is walking with our group..._ "I think he said he'd meet me at the park," she ventured.

Adrien tried not to give her too much of a look of relief. _That'll ease my two-places-at-the-same-time problem by a little,_ he thought, _but it's still going to be a night of quick-changes_. "Good! I can't wait to meet him," he said with a grin.

"You haven't met Chad yet, Adrien?" Alya asked. "Actually, I don't think any of us have yet. We're very interested."

Marinette gave Alya yet another dirty look. "Oh, I think everyone will like him. He has a... certain charm about him that's very hard to resist," she said, picking her words carefully while gauging Adrien's reactions. "A very unique sense of humor, definitely a one-of-a-kind style. It was tricky for me to take him seriously at first. But once he showed me how deep his sensitive side is... mmmm, I was a love puddle."

"Well, that always was your type, isn't it?" said Alya. "The soft, sensitive guys, the romantic types."

"Yep! Definitely. The kind who'd give their umbrella to a girl in the rain," she purred, enjoying Adrien's progressively reddening face. "All right, I do need to get back to sewing - my mother asked me for a favor for her Masquerade dress. Everybody here got what they need?"

Mylène replied, "Yes, this looks great!"

Adrien just smiled and nodded. _I have precisely what I need. And who, too._

* * *

Late in the evening, the Chat-phone rang. Adrien transformed quickly, making Plagg grumble about silly humans who don't understand the importance of napping, and answered Marinette's call.

 **[INCOMING VIDEO CALL - Marinette]**

"Hey, you," Marinette said once she saw Chat's face pop up. She was stretched out in her pajamas, just like in their previous video call. "Are you busy?"

"Too busy for you? Never," grinned Chat. "What's up?"

"Nothing, really," she smiled. "I missed my Kitty. I'm not ready to sleep yet, I'm excited, I'm nervous, I'm full of ideas, I'm nervous, I'm trying to make myself not sit up soul-searching all night. So if I can't sleep, why should my loving boyfriend?"

"You said nervous twice," noted Chat.

"I like nervous," Marinette grinned. "I'm good at it."

"Masquerade jitters?" he asked. "Do you have anything left to do before we go?"

"I'll want you to come visit and pick up your suit of armor, of course," she replied. "And whatever adjustments you need made to it. I tweaked it a little so it should be pretty easy to get on and off - not that I'm expecting trouble tomorrow night, but this IS Hawkmoth we're talking about. If an Akuma shows up, I don't want you in the bathroom yelling 'Hold on a minute, I'm changing...'"

"Oh, Hawkmoth's a reasonable guy, I'm sure he'd understand..." Chat laughed. "The man doesn't know a thing about fashion, though. He designs some of the ugliest villain costumes..."

"Oh, my gosh! Speaking of fashion, I have to tell you what happened today..." Marinette explained Alya's idea and Adrien's willingness to pass pictures on to his father. "I'm excited by that but I am SUCH a bundle of nerves! Gabriel Agreste giving my dress even a casual look is a BIG DEAL!"

"It is," agreed Chat, "but it's also a really good idea. I've seen enough of your designs to know that you're a major talent, Marinette. And I'm not just saying that because you're my girlfriend, either. I know a little bit about style and fashion, no matter what you're about to say about my costume choices..."

She giggled. "Never crossed my mind, Mr. Leather Cat Ears."

"If your dress is even half as good as your friends think, it'll get his attention in a good way. And I bet it's twice as good as you think it is. I cannot WAIT to see you in it," Chat continued.

"I just want to be beautiful for you tomorrow night, Chat," Marinette fluttered.

"That shouldn't be hard for you," he smiled. "You're doing it already." He watched her melt in response.

"Why can't I kiss you through the phone?" blushed Marinette. "There must be an app for that."

"You know how to do that already!" Chat said. "A certain adorable goodnight kiss picture you sent me? That's never left my phone."

"Oh, you liked that?" she grinned.

"I look at it every night," he admitted. "One of my favorite reminders of you." _I will not tell her that I kissed my phone... I'd never hear the end of that... I WILL NOT tell her that I kissed my phone..._

"I'll have to send those more often," she purred. "After tomorrow night, I can send one to your normal phone, too."

"I'd love that," Chat replied, then thought for a moment. "How... do we want to do that, by the way? Going forward, I mean. Are we going to be a couple out of costume and I'll be your Kitty in private? That'd make things easier for us to be together in public, but I want to do it how you want to do it."

"I never want to hide you away, but that does make sense," said Marinette. "My dad brought that up as a good point - I can't be kissing your other self under the Eiffel Tower at noon and Chat under it in the evening, or there goes your secret identity."

"Or people will just think you REALLY like blonde boys," Chat laughed, getting a raspberry in return.

"You have more to worry about than I do with identity problems," _as far as you know right now,_ "so I want to make sure YOU'RE comfortable with what we come up with," replied Marinette. "Don't make your life more difficult just to be with me."

She paused, rewinding the conversation in her head. "And did you just tell me that your secret identity has blonde hair?"

* * *

 _Whoops!_ "Somehow I don't think that you're surprised by that," said Chat.

"I'm not," she grinned. "Part of me just wants to call you by your real name right now... but I can wait one more day and do it right. Oh, and SPEAKING of secret identities... WHAT did my mother do to you?"

Chat cracked up. "The oldest trick in the book, and she did it so well that I fell for it. That's a dangerous woman. LADYBUG doesn't even know my secret, but she pulled it out of me effortlessly." He got a startled look on his face. "Wait, she TOLD you?"

"She admitted that she knows for sure, and that she's talked with you about it," explained Marinette. "She hasn't told me your name. Or anyone else, for that matter - not even my dad. She is SO fond of you, by the way. You really made a great impression on her, and on my dad, too."

"After tomorrow, she can tell him. Or you can! I'd like that. No further than that, of course, but I know you all know that," Chat replied. "I know I can trust both of them, and your mother is just plain amazing. I can see so much of both of them in you."

Marinette paused. "Will I get to meet your family? It's pretty much just your father, right?"

"Of course you will," Chat assured her. "You're a big part of my life. You're going to be a very important part of that life too."

"We are doing the right thing tomorrow, aren't we?" she asked, quietly. "You're sure about all of this?"

"I've never been more sure, Marinette." Chat's face was peaceful and sincere. "I really want you to know all sides of me, and to know you just as well."

"Me too, sweetie. Just be careful what you wish for," Marinette said, with a sly grin. "Good night," she whispered, blowing a kiss.

"Good night, sweet Marinette," he echoed, blowing one back.

 **[Call ended]**

About a minute later, the Chat-phone buzzed again, this time with an incoming message. He opened it and saw a photo of Marinette lying on her pillow, her eyes closed peacefully, with a stuffed black cat doll wrapped up in her arms. The accompanying message was simple:

 **[Marinette] ...Soon.**


	12. Once Upon A Time

The Marinette Project, Chapter 12: Once Upon A Time...

* * *

The big Saturday arrived at last. Marinette woke up with a wide arm stretch and a wider grin.

"Good morning, Tikki," she said, happily. "This is it - the day that's going to change my life..."

"Good morning!" her sleepy Kwami replied. "By telling you something that you already know?"

"You know what I mean," Marinette grinned. "There's a big difference between knowing and him telling me, showing me, officially trusting me. It's a whole new level of our relationship and I can't _believe_ that we're finally getting there!"

"I know, Marinette, and I think it's great," Tikki yawned. "Are you telling him YOUR secret tonight?"

"I intend to, but I'm not sure how I want to do it yet," she replied. "You can pick up the magic words even if they're mumbled, right? So if I'm in the middle of a kiss and I manage to get out 'Sprts ern,' you can do your thing and all of a sudden he'll be kissing Ladybug, right?"

"If you want five years of his life to dribble out of his ears, sure," laughed Tikki. "Imagine if he'd done that to you that night on the lake, the big first kiss and then WHOOSH! 'Oh, by the way, look who I really am...'"

"Good point," said Marinette. "He'd have tried to point out the supervillain flying right at us and I'd have been like 'I DON'T CARE! DON'T STOP!'"

"Once you woke up, you mean..."

"Exactly. 'Oh, hello, Adrien, what are you doing here in this boat right where Chat was standing ten seconds ago?'"

"If, in fact, he's really Adrien," Tikki grinned.

"You know, you can stop being defensive about that any time now," Marinette argued, good-naturedly. "I'm interested to hear at this point who else he COULD be."

"Marinette, you know I can't say it for sure until he does. It's like a binding legal contract," said Tikki. "If I give it up prematurely, I'll have to do all of Master Fu's dishes and laundry for MONTHS..."

* * *

Once that mental image had faded, Tikki asked, "So what do you have left to do? There can't be much. I think everybody's happy with their costumes, your dress is PERFECT..."

"Not much, really! Chat is picking up his 'armor', I'll talk with him about how we're going to handle the 'Chad' situation, and other than that I just have to wait for this evening and not explode," replied Marinette. "The group is coming by around five-thirty or six, I think? Then we're making the rounds of everybody's houses so the parents get to see all our outfits, and then off to the park for dancing and partying and _life-changing revelations_. You know, the usual."

"What's the current status of the 'Chad' situation? I think I need a scorecard," asked Tikki.

"Let me see... Juleka, Rose and Alix know that I'm dating 'Chad'. Mylene and Alya know that 'Chad' is Chat and I'm dating him. Adrien IS Chad AND Chat, and now he knows that... Dad knows I'm dating Chat but not that he's Adrien, or that there is a Chad at all. I think... Mom knows that Chat is Adrien and that I love them both, but also doesn't know that there's a Chad. You know that Chat, Chad and Adrien are all one person, but can't say it lest you end up on laundry duty... and the rest of the class and everyone else I know will be stunned senseless once they see me actually kiss a boy in public."

"I can't imagine how anyone finds that confusing," Tikki noted, dryly.

"So we're meeting everyone here, including Adrien, who'll be wearing his jester suit as Adrien and then his armor when he's Chat. We'll go there with him as Adrien, he'll make an excuse and disappear, transform, come back as Chad, I'll make introductions, he'll switch back and forth during the night as needed and drive his Kwami crazy..." pondered Marinette. "Plagg likes cheese, right, from what you told me?"

"The stinkier, the better," laughed Tikki.

"Remind me to send him some once I know where to send it tomorrow. Anyway..." she reasoned, "if Adrien _is_ my Kitty, which we both know he is, all I _think_ I should have to do is convince Alix, Juleka, Rose, and whoever else sees Chad and I together that we've stopped seeing each other afterwards, and I'll start seeing Adrien in public. I don't think anyone who knows me would think 'Marinette broke up with someone and replaced him with Adrien once she found out Adrien likes her' would be unusual for me."

She grinned evilly. "Chat can go masked or unmasked when I've got him alone, his choice; he'll still be exhausted by the time I'm done with him. And in public, I really don't think Chat'll have a problem with being seen dating Ladybug once he knows that I'm her. Chad will disappear quietly, Adrien and I will be able to be all gushy and romantic in public, and all will be right with the world."

"And you'll want to convince Alya and Mylene that Chat isn't Adrien. If, in fact, he is," Tikki added with a grin. "Don't give me that look! I have to keep saying that for, what, at least half a day? I think if Mylene sees you and Adrien together and Ladybug and Chat together, she'll buy it. Alya might take a little more persuasion."

"Yeah. Alya and I have some long talks ahead of us. But I need to patch one other hole first..."

* * *

Marinette made her way down to the kitchen. "Hi, Mom, Dad!" she said, pulling up a chair. "Ready for the big night?"

"Definitely," her father said. "Those things you made up for me look great, by the way."

"No problem! Mom, you're all set, too?"

"Uh-huh!" Sabine said, from over at the stove. "Everything's hanging up and ready. Your father and I really need a night out together like this, and you... well, we know what YOU'RE looking forward to."

"Her Chat in shining armor, no doubt," said Tom. "And I hear he's sharing his secret tonight? Tell him that he doesn't have to share it with me; I would understand completely. Unlike SOME PEOPLE," he added, drawing a giggle from his wife, "I won't try to trick it out of him."

"Actually, Dad, he said he's comfortable with you both knowing," replied Marinette. "He trusts you. And something about 'thanking you for trusting a strange boy in a leather cat suit alone with his daughter.'"

"This time, sure. But the NEXT catboy you bring home," Tom warned, waggling a finger at Marinette.

"Which reminds me, I had something I wanted to explain to you two. You've seen the knight-suit I made up for Chat, right?" she asked her parents.

"Uh-huh, it looks great!" Sabine said.

"If you see me snuggled up with him in it, and he sounds... different tonight... it's all part of the plan." Marinette said, a little embarrassed. She explained the concept of "Chad Black" quickly, to their visible amusement.

"That's funny," Tom smiled. "And after tonight, 'Chad' shouldn't be necessary any more?"

"That's my plan," said Marinette. "I wanted to warn you because, well... I know Chat. And I know he probably can't resist the temptation to put on some ridiculous accent to play the part, no matter how many times I'll kick him for it. I didn't want you thinking that he'd gone crazy if you heard him doing that, or that I'd hooked up with someone new for the heck of it."

"We wouldn't figure you as that type, naturally... but thank you for the warning," Sabine said, bringing a fresh plate of eggs to the kitchen table. "Any other surprises?"

"Oh, it's a Masquerade. I'm sure there will be SOMETHING unexpected happening," Marinette grinned, slyly.

* * *

A little after noon, a text message let Marinette know that her knight's arrival was imminent.

*TH-BMMMP*

"Come on down!" Marinette called, which Chat Noir did. "Everything's ready."

Chat slipped on the costume quickly and posed, drawing a whistle from his girlfriend. "Very nice! You look quite formidable," she admired.

He put the helmet on over his mask. "Awesome! You built room into it for cat ears, so they don't show through!" he grinned.

"Well, I kind of know that those don't come off. They're cute when they wiggle, though," Marinette giggled.

"And you're cute when YOU wiggle," Chat countered.

"You're the only one who'd know," she smiled, leaning in for a hug. "You're ready to play 'Chad' tonight?"

"Maybe," he replied. "Can I -"

"No," Marinette said, quickly.

"I didn't even finish my sentence," he complained.

"You will not do a funny voice or an accent. PLEASE," she laughed.

"She does know me..." Chat declared, theatrically.

"I know you're a goober," Marinette responded. "But you're my goober."

"A goober with a lance!" Chat showed off the handguard he'd made for his baton. "Push the little paw-print button, and..." The baton launched out several feet, taking on the appearance of a blunt lance suitable for unhorsing any number of jousters. "I may or may not bring the shield I made, though. It's kind of heavy, and I'll only have one hand free, since the other one stays around you..."

"Keep that up," Marinette purred, "and we might not make it to the Masquerade."

* * *

Around five-thirty, the game began in earnest, and the players began to gather in front of the Tom & Sabine's Boulangerie Patisserie.

"Come in, come in!" ordered Sabine, as Marinette's friends arrived in costumes and masks. "You don't have to wait outside! Come up so we can see everybody."

As predicted by Mylène, Rose's Snow White was exquisite; she took a simple peasant dress and practically made it glow. Juleka's dark-haired Rose Red was a perfect complement to it. Nino and Ivan were perfectly ferocious as the Big Bad Wolf and the Beast, or so they thought, anyway; if you asked Little Red Riding Alya and Belle-lène, giggling together across the room, they looked more like a Muppet and an overgrown teddy bear. But the girls weren't about to complain - it just made them cuddlier.

"Make yourselves at home!" called Sabine, right before she headed upstairs. "I just have to get my own outfit on, and help Tom with his makeup. I'll send Marinette down as well!"

"Adrien's coming with us, too, right?" asked Rose.

"Yeah, he should be here any time now," Alya replied. Hearing a car door out front, she added, "And that might be him..."

A few moments later, there was no doubt about it, as a burst of color and jingling bells hopped through the door and greeted everyone.

"Dude! You look good in tights! You should wear those to school," cracked Nino.

"Thank you, Nino," Adrien grinned. "I had to wear tights, my looses were at the cleaners."

The first of many waves of groans that night passed over the group.

* * *

Sabine ducked her head into Marinette's room. "Are you ready, dear? Your friends are waiting..."

Marinette turned to look in her direction and hooted with laughter. "That is PERFECT, Mom!"

"Oh, this old thing?" grinned Sabine, decked out in a long dress, domino mask and Bride of Frankenstein wig. "I only wear it on special occasions... Do you need any help?"

"Nope, I'm all set!" beamed Marinette. "You like?"

She performed a slow twirl in her blue princess dress, looking as if she had been born to wear nothing else. Her hair was loose and flowing, her homemade tiara catching every bit of light in the room, her clear heels looking every bit like glass slippers, a blue purse over her shoulder that matched everything well.

"Don't you MOVE!" Sabine commanded her. "I need pictures and your father has to see you! Marinette, you are EXQUISITE!"

Marinette blushed, but obeyed. A moment later, Sabine burst back into the room with her father, looking dapper in a tuxedo, Frankenstein's monster makeup over his face and hands, and two electrodes attached at his temples.

"My goodness! Marinette, you are a vision." Tom smiled from ear to ear while Sabine snapped pictures from every angle.

"Let's get one of you and Adrien together," grinned Sabine. "He and your other friends are downstairs waiting..."

* * *

In the living room downstairs, the kids made small talk and discussed who they'd be meeting at the Masquerade, among other things. Adrien tested out his newfound sense of humor, with mixed results.

"So the guy says, 'I don't think there's room in there for another potato!'" grinned Adrien, getting a roar of laughter from Alya and a slightly confused look from Rose.

"How is that even... possible?" Rose wondered aloud, then went "Oh!" when Juleka whispered something in her ear, giggling.

"If you like that one, wait 'til I tell the one... about..."

Adrien trailed off, unable to think, barely able to breathe. A vision of loveliness was making its way down the stairs, slowly, her smile growing the moment that she saw his masked face.

"Ohhhhhh!" Rose cooed. "You are SO BEAUTIFUL, Marinette! Your boyfriend is going to faint!"

Ivan mouthed, "Boyfriend?" before getting elbowed gently by Mylène.

Unconsciously, the other kids seemed to part like the Red Sea, as Marinette crossed the room and Adrien slowly approached her. It seemed... right. Marinette seemed a trifle nervous at the attention, but Adrien was simply absorbed by who and what was before him.

"Have you a joke for your princess, sweet jester?" smiled Marinette, her eyes fluttering beneath her light blue mask.

"Beauty such as yours is no laughing matter, my lady," he breathed. "They should have sent a poet. Perhaps three."

THAT sent every drop of Marinette's blood rushing to her face, but nothing on Earth could have stopped her smile right then.

Mylène watched the pair with wonder in her eyes. She leaned over to Alya and whispered, "Ten Euros."

"Ten Euros what?" Alya whispered back.

"Says they're a real couple by the end of the night. 'Chad' or no 'Chad.' Just look at them."

Alya shook her head. "Mylène, I'm so sorry... so, so sorry... that I'll be taking your money later," she replied, sprouting a grin.

* * *

Adrien pulled himself back to reality, gradually. "Marinette... my car is still outside. Could I _please_ show my father's assistant your dress, with you in it? I'm sure she'd agree that my father needs to see it, too."

"Seriously? Adrien, I... right now?" Marinette stammered.

Adrien gave her a gentle look, with his green eyes shining through his mask. "Would you? I so want to do this for you, Marinette," he said.

Her brain stopped working; her hand, despite a lack of formal authorization coming from her brain, reached out and took his.

Encouraged, he smiled as he led her gently downstairs and through the bakery.

Mylène watched the rest of the room staring at them with amazement as they left, then turned back to Alya. "Easy money, girl," she grinned.

"We'll see. Someone else will have her purring once she gets to the park," Alya said, chuckling.

* * *

Downstairs, Nathalie and Adrien's bodyguard waited a bit impatiently for Adrien to let them know that they could leave. Nathalie looked over at the burly driver, who raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I don't know, he said he wants us to see something before we go..." she replied. "Here he comes," she added, seeing a flash of wild color headed for the bakery's front door. She watched as Adrien the jester pranced out and towards the car; her eyes widened when she saw whom and what he was bringing with him.

"My goodness! Adrien... this is the girl and the dress you were telling me about?" she asked, straightening her glasses and stepping out of the car.

"It is. Nathalie, this is Marinette Dupain-Cheng... a _very_ good friend of mine from school, the classmate who won Father's Derby Hat contest, and an amazingly talented designer. She got this dress from a local consignment shop, right?" he asked, getting a nod from Marinette. "The alterations and redesign are all hers. Marinette, this is Nathalie Sancoeur, my father's closest assistant and right-hand woman. She manages many of my family's affairs and... helps take care of me. Nathalie, what do you think, should my father see this?"

Nathalie walked around Marinette slowly, examining the dress from all angles. "Marinette, honey... is it okay if I take some pictures of you?" she asked. "I think Gabriel would be astounded by your work. You have some serious talent for a young woman, my dear."

Marinette nodded and replied, "Y-yes, it's okay! If you're sure," half in a daze.

Nathalie used her tablet to take still pictures from several angles, then a short video capturing it in motion as the slight breeze touched it and made it move. "The tiara is your design as well, from what Adrien told me earlier?"

"It is," confirmed Marinette.

"I like it very much, but the dress is on an entirely different level of... Yes... Yes, these should do it. Adrien, how about one of the two of you together?" she smiled. "You'll want that as a keepsake."

Adrien put his arm around Marinette and smiled; Marinette's smile couldn't have left her face at that moment without dynamite being involved.

After taking the picture, Nathalie knelt by them and said to Marinette, "I promise that Gabriel will see these as soon as possible, okay? I'll have Adrien let you know what Gabriel thinks. You'll do that, right, Adrien?"

"Of course," Adrien grinned. "As soon as I hear from him."

"Thank you," Marinette replied, shyly. "I'm a huge fan of Adrien's father's work; it's an honor just for him to take the time to look at this."

"I don't think you'll be disappointed," said Nathalie. She hugged Adrien, which startled him a little bit, then headed back to the car. "Enjoy the masquerade!" she called, as the bodyguard drove the car off into the night.

"See? I told you that she'd agree that my father-" Adrien began, and was cut off by Marinette throwing her arms around him, tightly.

"Thank you so much, Adrien," she whispered. "I can't believe that just happened! Even if your father takes one look and laughs at it, just getting my work in his front door is amazing."

"You made that happen," said Adrien. "You did the amazing work."

Marinette met his gaze and replied, simply, "You believe in me."

 _I need to kiss you so badly that it hurts, Adrien. Please be Chat. Please._

* * *

They came back inside, where Marinette's parents were getting pictures of the kids' costumes. Adrien cracked up as soon as he saw Tom's Frankenstein's Monster getup. "Why don't you go where fashion sits..." he sang.

Tom grinned from ear to ear, belting out "PUTTIN' ON THE RIIIIIIIITZ!" in a loud voice. He turned to Sabine and laughed, "The boy knows his Mel Brooks! I knew I liked him."

"All right, everybody, shall we move on to the next house? I think Rose's is closest," called Alya, and the group gathered their belongings.

Marinette hugged her mom and dad, and whispered to her mother what Adrien had just arranged with Nathalie. "You hang onto that one," she whispered back. "Something tells me you'll have plenty of other reasons to soon. We'll see you at the Masquerade, I'm sure. Have fun tonight!"

As the costumed group traveled from house to house, Marinette felt like she was floating on a little cloud. She could hear the music from the park in the distance; lighter, acoustic sounds from one side for those in a more medieval mood, more modern pop-rock from the other where space was set up for the younger crowd to dance. _Come and play!_ the music beckoned. _It's finally time._

And after the Césaires and the Lahiffes and the Lavillants and the Couffaines and Mylène's father all got their opportunities to admire everyone... it finally was.

* * *

Gabriel Agreste sat in his office, nearly as anxious to begin his alternative entertainment for the evening. Prancing around in public was not his idea of a good time, but he had something special in mind as his... contribution to the event.

Nathalie entered, with a gentle knock at the door. "Ah! Come in, Nathalie. I trust you acquired what I needed for this evening?"

"And then some," she replied. "I have pictures and video of Adrien and his lady friend, so that you'll have a visual as to whom to instruct your villain to avoid. He or she should have no problem - both will stand out from the crowd quite easily. And I think you'll find you have another reason to pay attention to Adrien's date..."

She handed him the tablet, starting with the picture of the two together, and watched Gabriel's eyes widen. "Well!" he said, and she watched his designer's instincts kick in rapidly. "It's a Givenchy? 1950s. No... a very clever knockoff, something more within the price range of a woman of the era, as the baseline dress. VERY cleverly altered! She understands its history, and added her own touches without spoiling that. That line there... I see... Did she do that, or was it - she must have! I might've tweaked this slightly differently... ah, I see... excellent instincts... The tiara is obviously amateur work, but it complements the whole well, without being distracting..."

Gabriel paged through the pictures and the video, spouting a rapid-fire stream of fashionese, retreating for another look at certain angles. "This is... all done by one of Adrien's classmates? No professional assistance?"

"It's all Marinette's work," Nathalie confirmed. "She was a bit shy about letting me photograph it, not sure that it was ready for someone like you to examine it. But you've seen her work before - Marinette was the one who won your Derby Hat design contest, with her hidden signature worked into it that proved its provenance."

"Yes! I recall that. A definite diamond in the rough. It seems... if she can do this, on a schoolgirl's limited budget, there's very little rough left." Gabriel smiled. "If a university intern had presented me with this, I'd hire her immediately. But from someone this young...?"

He returned the tablet to Nathalie. "Copy these onto the network," he ordered, "and make sure copies go in my personal folder. It appears my son has excellent instincts as well!"

"She seems exceptionally sweet and approachable, though I've only spoken with her briefly. Adrien remains completely smitten; if he can pry her away from her other gentleman, whoever he may be, that might help significantly with any potential negotiations." noted Nathalie. "She has a healthy respect for the Agreste name and lines, which could also help. DEFINITELY not using Adrien for her own benefit; he's the one nudging her forward."

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng..." Gabriel mused, "There is much more to you than meets the eye. I may need to unearth just what that is."

* * *

As the group began to wander the Masquerade grounds, they quickly ran into more of their friends. Alix came running over as soon as she saw them, her long red pigtails from her wig flapping wildly. "There you are!" she called, admiring everyone.

Marinette and the others exchanged hugs with her, with several others close behind. "Hey, Max, Kim..." she said. "You must be Ondine!" Marinette added, addressing a young redhead in a Little Mermaid costume next to Kim, complete with a tail covering her legs. "That is the cutest costume!"

"Part of your worrrrrrld!" Ondine sang, briefly, with some giggles. "Marinette, right? I'm glad to finally meet you!"

Kim announced, "You HAVE to see what Max did with his robot! C'mere, show them!"

Max approached, wearing a white beard that looked quite comical on him, with Markov dressed as a tiny puppet on his shoulder. "Pinocchio... tell them a lie, please!"

"Certainly. Tonight, Max is dressed as Goldilocks!" As he spoke, a small metal rod extended slightly from the device plugged into his USB port, just beneath his eyes. "I'm sorry, I meant to say he's dressed as Peter Pan!" The nose extended a few inches further.

The group oohed and aahed appreciatively. "It took me two weeks to build that," Max said, proudly.

"Do you have to be human to win Best Couple in the costume contest?" laughed Alya. "If not, I think you might have a winner there."

Adrien tapped Marinette on the shoulder. "I think I need to visit the little jester's room. Do save a dance for me, would you, Princess?"

"Certainly, good sir," she replied, giving him a wink. "And if you run into... Chad while you're there, could you send him my way? I'm dying to see him."

They gave each other knowing grins, letting the game play out a little longer, then Adrien took off with bells jingling.

"All right, everybody," called Alix, "Anyone else feel like dancing tonight?"

The rest of the group gave a small cheer to that, and headed towards where the modern music was coming from.

* * *

In the bathroom, Adrien ducked into the first available stall and closed the door. "Plagg, you're all ready? This could be a long night."

"That case of Camembert's in your fridge waiting for me, isn't it?" the Kwami replied. "Then I'm set."

"CLAWS OUT!"

In a white flash, the colorful jester was replaced by Chat Noir's costume, with Marinette's knight outfit over top of it.

Adrien admired the change. "Perfect! If I can quick-change like this and the costumes stay put, this evening should be easier to manage than I'd thought. Plagg, if you can hear me, you rock."

He checked his appearance in the mirror, making sure that everything was in place, then marched back in the direction from which he'd come.

* * *

The dance floor evolved into what dance floors tend to become with young teenagers - the girls dancing together in groups and circles, occasionally luring in some of the boys talking together on the fringes.

Marinette had never considered herself much of a natural at it, but she did her best to move with the beat and have fun. It's not like anyone was judging, and there was a certain odd thrill to be out in a mask that wasn't Ladybug's, even if all her friends obviously knew exactly who she was.

A gloved hand touched her shoulder. "May I have this dance, my lady?" intoned a deep voice.

"How can I refuse?" she beamed, turning to see Chat in his knight suit. She lifted the helmet just enough to make him kissable, getting a "Woo!" from Alix and a few others nearby.

Rose appeared immediately, as if hiding a personal teleporter in her dress, with some of the others not far behind. "Hi! You must be Chad!" she bubbled.

Marinette held her breath. _Please don't do a wacky accent... PLEASE don't do a wacky accent..._

"Hello! That's me," Chat said, pitching his voice slightly deeper and softer but within normal parameters, making Marinette smile with some relief. "You have to be Rose, from what Marinette's told me, and... Julie? No, Juleka, that was it, I must get it right! I'm pleased to meet you!"

"Will you be dancing with us?" asked Juleka, smiling.

"If Marinette is, of course!" answered Chat. "I think I remember a few moves I could show off..."

"Easy, honey," Marinette said. "Nothing too... acrobatic."

"Who, me?" he replied, squeezing her hand gently.

"Gosh! We're dying to know more about you, Chad! Where do you go to school?" asked Rose.

"Yeah... tell us about yourself, Chad!" grinned Alya, leaning in.

"I'm..." Chat did some quick mental math as to who already knew what. "I'm a year ahead of Marinette, I go to a school up on the north side. This is, what, our third official date?"

"Second or third," Marinette replied, "depending on what we call 'official.'"

"Anything with kissing," offered Mylène.

"Then it's more like, what, our fifteenth?" said Chat, grinning in Marinette's direction.

She tried not to kick him, red-faced, while answering, "Something like that. We're still getting to know each other in some ways."

"We met kind of by accident, we hit it off well, I started coming to visit her... and who could resist for long?" drawled Chat. "We had a night where we got to know each other better over video games at her house, I kissed her goodnight..."

"Like a total gentleman..." added Marinette, holding up the back of her hand with a smile.

"...And before I knew it, I was head over heels. So we're seeing where this goes, and I'm enjoying every second of it," Chat said, putting his arm around Marinette. "When I..."

"ADRIEKINS!" came a shout from nearby, and a blonde in a pink dress suddenly threw herself onto Chat at high speed. "You came!"

"Hmmph!" grunted Marinette, displaced a foot or two by the rapid debutante assault.

Chat stood still, not returning the hug. "Can I... help you, miss?" he asked, dryly.

Chloé looked bewildered; she looked at Marinette briefly, then back at Chat. "You're... not Adrien?" she asked.

"I can be, if you really need me to be," Chat laughed. "I have an hourly rate schedule for that kind of thing..."

"WELL! I, um... sorry about that," Chloé mumbled, dislodging herself with significant embarrassment and ignoring the growing giggles around her. "Who are you, then?"

"His name's Chad Black, Chloé," Rose offered, jumping in. "He's a sophomore from the north side, and he's Marinette's date."

"And I'm afraid that I'm a one-Princess guy," Chat added. "Chloé, is it? Nice to meet you..."

"One princess, hmmm?" Chloé murred, feigning a theatrical yawn. "Well... this Sleeping Beauty might need True Love's Kiss from someone noble to awaken her..." She flopped backwards, with Sabrina dashing forwards to catch her... dressed as an overstuffed, walking pillow.

Marinette laughed at that concept. "Okay, Sabrina, THAT'S cute. I like that a lot."

Sabrina grunted under Chloé's weight, but gave Marinette a smile. "Thanks! You look amazing!"

Chloé opened an eye, noting that no one was rushing forward to 'awaken' her, and gave Marinette's outfit a look. "Yes, Marinette, you... look... uh, wow!" She stood up and rubbed her eyes, as if she didn't trust what she was seeing. "Where did you get that dress from?"

"A consignment shop, with my own alterations," she said proudly, with Alya nodding behind her.

Chloe struggled for how to respond, then finally admitted, "Okay, even I can't pick on that. That is NICE."

Gracious in victory, Marinette said, "Yours is gorgeous, too! But, then, you always dress well."

"Yes! Thank you, um... enjoy your night, I guess! Come on, Sabrina..." Chloé stammered, looking for a part of the dance floor where nobody had just seen or heard that.

* * *

"Where is Adrien, anyway?" asked Alix. "He was right here a little while ago..."

"I think I saw him over there somewhere. I'll go look, okay?" Chad said, gave Marinette a quick peck on the cheek, then took off in the direction he'd indicated.

Rose came up next to Marinette and said, "Oh, I like him! Can you get him to take his helmet off? I'm dying to know what he looks like!"

"It's a Masquerade, Rose! He'd have a mask on underneath, anyway," Mylène reminded her. "Just like everybody else here!"

"Oh, yeah..."

* * *

An elevated platform slowly brought Gabriel Agreste down to a hidden lair, with Nooroo floating out of his jacket to greet him. "Welcome, Master," the Kwami intoned, sadly.

"Good evening, Nooroo. Are you prepared for another night's entertainment?" Gabriel smiled.

"You find this ENTERTAINING, Master?" Nooroo boggled.

"My purpose is deadly serious, make no mistake!" snapped Gabriel. "But I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a certain... creative challenge to it. Why do you think I don't just create a deadly mercenary with machine guns and rocket launchers? I will win this little game eventually, because I must... but I will win it my own way, on my own terms, with my own mind triumphant. And what I create tonight may well be the tipping point."

"You can justify it to yourself all you like, Master. It's still wrong and you know it," the Kwami sighed.

"Right and wrong are written in the history books by the winner, Nooroo. And the winner will be me. DARKWINGS... RISE!"

The typical lightshow accompanied Gabriel's transformation into Hawkmoth. He took a deep breath, preparing himself. "With as many people as will be at the Masquerade, I need not seize upon the first negative emotion I encounter," he mused. "I shall reach out and find just the right... flavor of despair, of anger, of dissatisfaction for my task at hand."

His mind reached out, probing the Masquerade grounds...

* * *

A chorus of jingles told Marinette that her other dance partner was approaching rapidly. Abruptly, she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder, and turned to see a large pillow by her side.

"Can... I ask you a question, Marinette?" Sabrina asked.

"Sure," she replied, a bit surprised.

"Chloé wanted me to ask you... this is a little awkward, um... she has a cotillion to go to next month, and she has a dress picked out for it, but... would it be possible for her to pay you to work on it for her, the way you did with the one you have on?" Sabrina shuffled her feet, a little hesitantly. "It doesn't have to be exactly the same as this one, but we just saw what you did with this and it's just... anything even close to that would make Chloé the belle of the ball, y'know?"

Marinette glanced over at Chloé, across the dance floor. Chloé tried not to look back at first, then thought better of it and mouthed _Pleeeeease?_ silently.

"I'll tell you what," Marinette answered, once she thought it over for a minute. "If Chloé had actually asked me herself and been nice about it, I might've done it for free."

"Really?" Sabrina said, turning to leave.

Marinette caught her arm. "But since that wouldn't be Chloé... Yeah, I'll help, and I won't charge that much, depending on what she wants done. Tell her to email me or something later this week and we'll work something out."

She felt Adrien's arm slip around her. "Tonight... I'm a little busy," she smiled.

"U-understood!" Sabrina squeaked. "Thank you! And that dress _is_ amazing, Marinette."

"And you look so cute in fluffy cotton," Marinette grinned back.

"What was that all about?" Adrien asked, watching Sabrina retreat.

"Oh, I think she just made my day. Maybe my year. If a dress on me impressed _Chloé,_ your father will be a pushover," she giggled.

The DJ started up a slow song. "Would you push me over to the next dance, then?" Adrien asked, reaching for Marinette's hand.

"I was hoping you would ask," Marinette smiled. "This time I won't need Alya to shove me into it."

* * *

On the opposite side of the park grounds, a middle-aged man helping out at one of the concession stands was visibly grumpy. His sorceror outfit was remarkably detailed, with runed robes and medallions of power around his neck, a traditional domino mask and a pointed hat, while his wife's witch costume was equally elaborate and clearly aimed at authenticity rather than sex appeal.

"John, you get like this every year," his wife lectured him. "It's not a big deal!"

"It is a big deal. Kids just have no respect for tradition any more. Look at them!" He gestured at a couple of children walking by in garish costumes. "What's that boy supposed to be, one of those Rescue Rangers?"

"Power Rangers," she corrected him. "And that's really not important. They're just here to have fun!"

"I keep seeing groups of teenagers walking around with just a mask and regular clothes. Jeans and a T-shirt and half of them _don't even bother with a mask_! That's just stupid. In my day, people took masquerades seriously! They put thought into their costumes, they did themes, they had a sense of tradition, of mystery. Now it's just like Halloween - run to the store, buy something off the rack, if you even bother with that."

"You're being silly, John," his wife scolded. "Look, it's just not a young person's kind of thing to plan this out for months. Not most young people, anyway. Not everyone has time to do what you do any more. "

"I just wish I could grab some of these people for one minute and teach them a little respect for how it's supposed to be done. For the old ways." He slumped down in his chair, dejected. "Just for one night."

Somewhere, on the other end of town, his wish was heard... and granted.

* * *

The two stepped out together to an open space on the floor, Adrien's hands at her waist, her hands around his neck, the way they'd been guided by Alya at Chloé's party. This time around, they melted together much more naturally.

"Can I tell you something, Adrien?" Marinette whispered.

"Anything. Always," he replied.

"I want you to know just how many times I dreamed about a moment just like this," she said, softly. "Being right on the verge of something incredible, looking up into beautiful green eyes, feeling strong arms around me... You may have given me some rough nights, Adrien Agreste, but you've also given me so many wonderful dreams. And now I feel like I'm in one."

"Can I tell you something, too?" asked Adrien. She nodded.

"I'm kind of hoping you can help me with a problem I have right now, actually," Adrien smiled. "I can't think of anyone more qualified than you."

"How can I help?" Marinette breathed.

"Well, there's this girl... and a very strange situation that I'm in. I'm in love with her... twice. In two different ways. It's kind of hard to explain, you know?" His eyes shone at her. "And I know she loves me back the one way, the way she knows me best. And the other way... well... I messed up that way so bad, and I hurt someone I truly care about."

"I'm pretty sure if you had apologized to her, and explained what happened, she would have forgiven you completely, and would probably be crazy about you all over again," Marinette fluttered. "As you probably ought to know by now."

"Which is yet another reason I've fallen for her, so hard, Marinette. And in a very short time," he said, "I think I'll have a chance to show her just how much that is."

"So what's the problem?" Marinette asked, smiling at him. "It sounds like everything's coming together pretty well, from where I'm standing..."

"It's this," Adrien whispered, leaning in a little closer. "It's that everything in my body is screaming at me... about how much I _need_ to hold her, to kiss her, to tell her that I love her _right now._ But I'm not supposed to do that for..." Adrien checked his watch, then added, "another couple of hours."

"That's a really specific timetable," Marinette grinned, laying her head against his chest, as they slowly rocked back and forth to the music. "Whose idea was that?"

"Mine, I think. Something about the end of the night. I don't know what I was thinking," he said. "So... if you were that girl... what would you suggest he do?"

"Well," replied Marinette, leaning in even further, "it seems to me that you could solve this whole problem with just two words."

"Two words, huh?" he laughed. "Right here, right now?"

"Oh, maybe not the two words YOU'RE thinking of right now," she giggled. "There are a lot of two words that might work," she added. "Like, 'You know,' or 'You're right,' or 'It's true.' Use your imagination; I think there are lots of ways to get a certain point across."

Her grin was infectious. "But if you took that girl somewhere nice and private, and you said two of the right words... I don't think she'd want to wait any longer than you do."

"That's if I can keep myself from kissing her... right here," Adrien whispered.

"That... that's also an interesting option," breathed Marinette. "Because _you_ wouldn't do that unless you knew that you should. So... it'd be like saying those two words... without making a sound, if that's what that kiss would mean. That's a thing... that you _could_ do... if you really wanted to... _right now_."

Marinette was faintly aware, in the back of her head, that several of her friends were watching their dance, conversation and intimacy with very surprised looks on their faces. She did not care in the slightest.

* * *

A tiny part of both Adrien and Marinette's brains took that moment to reassert itself. This part was insistent that they each noticed faint sounds in the distance that sounded much like running, screaming and panic.

Marinette closed her eyes. "Are you KIDDING ME?" she muttered, rhetorically.

"PEOPLE OF PARIS..." a dark, sepulchral voice intoned, some moderate distance away.

"It's like there's a chip in my head," said Marinette, "and it just broadcasts all the time to Hawkmoth. And he just WAITS until something great is about to happen and goes 'Ah! Now's the time to wreck it!'"

"How about this?" Adrien smiled. "How about I go find where... Chad went... and let him do his thing, and then we'll un-wreck it? This conversation is so far from over."

"It doesn't sound over," she replied. "More like a beautiful beginning. You stay safe for me..."

"I promise." He leaned over and kissed Marinette on the forehead, and then took off running towards the commotion.

Marinette turned and looked at her slackjawed friends. "As odd as this is going to sound... yes, I know what I'm doing," she grinned.

"Sure looks like it," quipped Alix. "Does Chad know what you're doing?"

"Believe it or not, yes?" answered Marinette. "It's a long story. They know each other, Adrien's going to find him and make sure he's safe for me. It sounds like Akuma season just started."

"And where are YOU going?" called Alya, seeing Marinette start to run in that direction as well.

"To make sure they're BOTH safe." _And to figure out how I'm going to explain all of this when I get back..._

* * *

Next time:

* Less of a wait before the next chapter goes up!

* Hawkmoth's villain is revealed... and does some revealing of his own.

* A grudge match for the ages.

* "Um... Surprise?"

* A little something that's been long in the works...


	13. Happily Ever After, Now And Then

The Marinette Project, Chapter 13: Happily Ever After... Now And Then

* * *

Adrien made a beeline for the bathroom facilities where he'd changed earlier in the evening. _I'm not sure what I'm dealing with here, so best to stall until Ladybug arrives!_ he thought.

Once out of sight, he readied himself. Plagg asked, "Do you want -"

"CLAWS OUT!"

Chat Noir dashed out and faced off with a dark, robed figure... and realized that he was still decked out in Marinette's armor costume.

 _Crap!_ he thought. _I bet Plagg was about to ask if I wanted that to go away for now! Well, too late now. I'll bluff this guy and see what he can do._

"WHO GOES THERE?" Chat intoned in a deep voice. "This Masquerade is under knightly protection."

"Ah, at last!" the figure replied. "The tales cannot begin without our players in place. You'll do, for now," he snickered. "Welcome, would-be hero... to the realm of Brother Grimm!"

He wore what looked to be intricate sorceror's robes, covered with runes of power that glowed softly at intervals, with shining red eyes being all that stood out from the darkness inside the hood. He held a large book in one hand, an elaborate medallion around his neck, and a staff in the other hand whose spiked end glowed ominously.

"At least you're properly dressed for the occasion," Chat laughed. "Nice rune-work. Who's your tailor?"

"I almost hate to destroy you..." the villain mused. "You have a sense of style about you, something sorely lacking in this playground for the unimaginative! Those who came here in everyday garb, or crude store-bought plastic... they are whom my magic is meant for." He gestured behind him, and Chat saw a large number of toads and frogs hopping around behind him, croaking loudly.

"Wow! The costume contest judges aren't fooling around this year!' replied Chat, extending his lance. "But that's not my idea of a participation trophy. Shall we dance, sir?"

"Gladly!" Brother Grimm bowed slightly in recognition. "You'll do until my real targets arrive. Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculouses must be mine tonight!"

* * *

Alya took off running after Marinette. _Running into danger to see what's happening is my style, not hers. What's gotten into her tonight?_ _I know she and Chat are an item now, but she usually has more sense than this!_ She heard a few of her friends following, curious as to what was happening without wanting to get into anyone's attack range.

Marinette reached the bathroom, looked around, saw Alya, and looked slightly perturbed. "You're, um, here too!" she stammered. _How am I supposed to go in and change to Ladybug with you here, watching me? I'll have to think fast..._

A nearby commotion drew the attention of both girls; they looked over and saw 'Chad' facing off against a formidable-looking villain.

"Can he handle himself against this?" Alya muttered, low enough for only Marinette to hear.

"I hope so. I don't know if Ladybug knows this is happening, or if he had time to send her a message!" she replied. _Or if she has any way of changing without a distraction!_

Chat danced around the villain, not wanting to get too close, looking for a clean strike with his baton-lance. "So other than having a thing for amphibians, what do you do?" he chattered.

"Mine is the power... of stories," bragged Brother Grimm. "Every villain of old, every monster, every witch and wizard and evil creature, every fable from history... my playthings, to bring to life! Let's start out by making sure that we remain... undisturbed, hmmm?"

He waved his staff in a semicircle... and behind Chat, many rows of bright red flowers emerged from the ground, forming a large ring around their makeshift battleground. Chat watched, horrified, as everyone standing near them abruptly collapsed to the ground .

"What harm could some harmless poppies do?" Grimm cackled, while Chat edged a little closer, wary of falling prey to their scent.

"Where's a Scarecrow and a Tin Woodsman when I need one?" he gulped. He looked around and saw Marinette and Alya on the other side of the flowers, safe for now. "STAY BACK, everyone!" he shouted, staring at Marinette in particular.

Marinette examined the situation carefully. _Can't get too close!_ she thought. _Hmmm._ _If this villain has the power of stories..._ "The storybook?" she called to Chat. "I'll help manage the crowd." She turned and warned those around her, now including Mylene, Juleka, Nino and Rose, not to get too close lest the poppy fields knock them out.

"Is that CHAD?" Juleka gasped. "What is he DOING over there? Is he nuts?"

Chat nodded at Marinette's suggestion. "Good idea, my lady!" Spinning away from Grimm's staff, he said, "If you won't let me back away... I'll just have to get closer!", and smashed the book out of Grimm's hands with a two-handed swipe.

He paused, waiting for an Akuma to emerge... but none came.

"FOOL!" Grimm laughed, tripping Chat with a low swing. "The book is simple window dressing. Any good storyteller knows all his tales by heart..."

He watched as Chat leapt away nimbly. "You're quite the little Jumping Jack, aren't you? Well, Jack... there's no beanstalk to cut down today!"

Grimm raised his staff, and purple energy engulfed him. All stared in shock as the figure began to grow... and grow... and grow...

* * *

"Hey! Come down here and fight like a man," Chat called to Brother Grimm. He circled back, warily, avoiding the edge of the Oz-poppies.

 _I'm whistling in the dark here,_ he thought. _I don't know if I can even scratch someone that big. Ladybug, where are you?_

"Fee, fie, foe, fum," chanted the now-giant villain, "I see a hero who thinks I'm dumb. Foe, fie, fum, fear - who but my target would battle me here?"

He stomped the ground forcefully, causing shockwaves that rattled people in every direction. Chat, being as close as he was, went flying and landed flat on his back. He cringed as a huge, meaty hand reached down and grabbed his fallen form.

 _Too big to dodge - aaaagh!_

The giant held Chat up with one hand and pinched and ripped the cloth armor with the other, exposing the familiar Chat Noir costume to the crowd.

"That's-!" Rose pointed at Chat Noir, turned to look at Marinette, and repeated that back-and-forth a few times with an utterly shocked expression on her face. Juleka and Alix just stared at Marinette, mouths agape.

Marinette looked at them and shrugged, sheepishly. "Did I not, um, mention that about Chad?" she asked, with an embarrassed grin.

* * *

"Fee, fie, foe, fat! It seems that this giant has captured a cat! Fum, fee, foe, fie... I think we should see if this kitten can fly!"

"NOOOOO!" howled Marinette, watching the giant wind up and toss Chat Noir a considerable distance! Chat Noir crashed through tree branches roughly, smashing into bandstand seating for one of the music stages in the park. She took off running, leaving her friends behind her trying to make sense of the situation.

"You just saw that, right?" asked Alix. "Chad Black is CHAT NOIR? No wonder our class keeps getting hit by Akumas - there's a superhero's girlfriend in it!"

"Well, Chad may have his secrets, but I know _I_ don't have any powers! I'm taking cover. You girls coming with me?" Juleka beckoned.

Rose and Alix moved to join her, but Alya took off in Marinette's direction. "Do that! I'm going to go make sure Marinette doesn't do anything... crazy."

"I'm coming with you!" Nino told Alya. She started to protest, but he said, "I'm not letting YOU do anything crazy, either, honey."

She took his hand and they both ran in the direction of the now-faraway princess in blue.

* * *

Marinette reached Chat Noir just as he was digging himself out of the wooden wreckage. "Are you all right?" she called, frantically.

"Yeah, I'm pretty indestructible powered up... I think. But YOU have to get out of here, Marinette! That giant is..."

A huge shadow loomed over them. "...here?" Chat gulped. "Take cover!"

Hawkmoth's energy signature loomed over the giant's face. "Interesting... Brother Grimm, I believe the girl is the one I told you about. Do not harm her, if at all possible, and if a jester approaches her, spare him as well."

 _I have a suspicion that the jester is hiding beneath cat ears... but how he reacts to this fight might be illuminating,_ thought Hawkmoth.

Marinette retreated to near the stage, ducking behind a tall observation tower next to it. She was ready to hide behind it and call upon Tikki, only for Alya and Nino to find and join her quickly.

"Marinette!" Alya panted, "Are you nuts? We need to get away from here before we get caught in the crossfire!"

"I'm not leaving him alone," Marinette muttered through gritted teeth. "YOU need to get clear. Trust me."

"What do you mean -" started Alya.

Brother Grimm surveyed the battle, and noticed Nino and Alya nearby. "Red Riding Hood and her Big Bad Wolf, hmmm? Let me show you what a Big Bad Wolf SHOULD look like..."

The purple energy engulfed him yet again, reducing him in size and leaving him in the form of a humanoid wolfman, still visibly strong and formidable. Marinette looked him over, unconsciously taking mental inventory of what she saw on him. _He has the same medallion around his neck that Brother Grimm had. Remember that!_

"Dog vs. Cat? This fight's becoming personal," grinned Chat.

"I'll huff, and I'll puff... and I'll blow this imposter down!" challenged Grimm, who let loose a burst of wind... sending Nino flying through the air!

"NO!" Chat yelled, leaping instantly in that direction. He caught enough of Nino to prevent serious injury, but both had the breath knocked out of them momentarily.

"Concern for your friends, Chat Noir? How noble. And how exploitable!" He looked over at Marinette and Alya, and called out "You'd better run, or I'll blooooooow your house down!"

Alya took off, running over to comfort Nino... but Marinette stayed put. A mighty gust of wind blew in her direction, the Wolf realizing too late that she hadn't moved. She crouched and covered her head as trees and debris flew by her...

...then stared in terror as the base of the observation tower she was standing next to gave way, and the whole thing collapsed in her direction!

 _I only have one chance to survive this,_ Marinette thought, in a state of panic...

"Tikki! Spo-WUAAAGH!" she started, interrupted by a blur of black leather tackling her from behind and bringing her to the ground.

"I'll protect y-" Chat yelled, then was drowned out by a roar of collapsing wood and metal.

* * *

Marinette opened her eyes once she was sure that she still could. Chat was on top of her, his own eyes closed, his body still.

"CHAT!" she hissed, with tears forming. "CHAT! Wake up!"

His eyes opened slowly, and he looked at her, groggily. "Wha... what happened?" he gasped.

"You saved me," she cried. "But what about you?"

They both tried to move, but found themselves pinned down by the weight of the fallen wood and metal. "Hit me... hard. M'okay... I think... took a good shot to the head," Chat mumbled. "Are you okay?"

"I think so..." She looked down and saw a jagged piece of metal that'd torn right through her dress, pinning it to the ground - if it had been inches in another direction, it might've taken one of her legs clean off. "I can't move, Chat! What are we going to do?"

"Only one thing I can do. CATACLYSM!"

"No! You'll be helpless..." she begged, but it was too late. He waved his hand behind him and disintegrated the vast majority of the rubble, then flipped over on his back to catch his breath.

"Marinette... you have to get out of here!" Chat pleaded, shakily. "Ladybug will come... she always does..."

"I'm not leaving you," Marinette growled. She yanked on her dress, ripping it loose from the debris. _So much for that!_ she thought. One of her shoes was gone, so she kicked off the other one. With one hand, she reached up and adjusted the domino mask covering one of her eyes, then pulled it off completely.

She surveyed the area around her and came to a decision.

 _Too many eyes on me to transform right now..._

 _...but you just made me MAD._

* * *

A crowd began to form around the edge of the battle site - as usual, rubberneckers were terrified of getting close enough to be involved, but too fascinated to run away.

Alya looked on in horror, seeing the debris disappear but no immediate sign of Marinette. She caught a glimpse of Chat Noir trying to struggle to his feet, obviously shaken up badly.

The Big Bad Wolf recoiled as Hawkmoth screamed at him through the energy signature. "WHAT DID I TELL YOU about that girl? I had... reasons for not wanting her harmed! She could prove to be a valuable resource to me. If you've killed or maimed her, you don't want to know what I'll do in return..."

"I'm sorry, Hawkmoth!" the Wolf stammered. "I didn't see her hiding there until it was too late."

"Never mind her for now. She is not the primary target; Chat Noir is. Go dig him out and seize his Miraculous... then we need only wait for Ladybug to arrive and try to tackle you alone, and suffer the same fate."

"You've got it, Hawkmoth. One Miraculous, coming up!" The Wolf stepped forward, approaching the fallen Chat...

"YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HIM," intoned a loud and commanding voice.

* * *

All eyes were drawn to a most remarkable sight.

A young princess stood between Chat Noir and his villainous opponent. Her feet were bare, her dress muddied and torn, her tiara bent by falling debris... but her face told a completely different story. She stared at the Wolf with flames in her gaze, armor of pure willpower around her, and an intensity that made even the Wolf take two steps backwards. She held Chat's baton in one hand, a trash can lid in the other as a makeshift shield, and she stepped forward, slowly and steadily...

"You _will not_ touch that boy," Marinette repeated.

She heard Alya calling out to her, screaming to her to run, to get out of the way, that she's going to get herself killed. She heard other voices crying out in concern and astonishment. She was pretty sure her mother's voice might've been somewhere in the tumult of yelling and screaming. And she heard Chat Noir on the ground behind her, begging her to run for it and not worry about him.

None of that mattered at all.

The Wolf examined her, warily. "My goodness! I applaud your spirit, girl. Ten out of ten for bravery! But stand aside, or I'll strike you down as well."

"He saved my life," Marinette growled. "You won't lay a paw on him, I promise you that."

Through his telepathic connection with Brother Grimm, Hawkmoth gaped at the sight. _Clearly, Chat Noir means FAR more to that girl than I could have ever anticipated._ "Scare her off," he ordered Grimm, _"gently._ If you can manage it this time, I do not want her hurt."

The Wolf gathered his energy again. "This calls for something special, I think," he declared. "Let's turn this into a PROPER fairy tale grudge match."

The energy surrounded him... and in the place of the Big Bad Wolf stood a huge and imposing dragon, green and gold scales glistening, a sneer on its face.

"Princess versus Dragon for the fate of her valiant Knight? Now we're talking," Brother Grimm laughed. "Run, little princess! Before I find out if you're chewy or crunchy."

Marinette's eyes took in her transformed opponent, and she stopped advancing, but did not back away. _I have maybe four minutes left before Chat's transformation wears off and everything falls apart here. I need to do... something... quickly._

* * *

The dragon examined Marinette carefully. "I must apologize about your dress, young lady! If you'd run away like a sensible girl, it wouldn't have happened. I don't suppose you could be reasonable and step aside, and simply let me take his Miraculous without more fighting?"

"Not a chance," she snarled.

"Pity. I'm not supposed to hurt you, young princess, and I don't really want to anyway... but to get to him, I _will_ go through you." The dragon reared up. "And it's not like you can stop that."

"Can't I?" Marinette replied, keeping herself interposed between the dragon and the fallen Chat. _Wait... WHY isn't he supposed to hurt ME?_

The thought evaporated in the jet of flame that shot out of the dragon's mouth, aimed carefully at the shield in her left hand. Very quickly, it became too hot for her to hold, and she dropped it with a pained yelp.

"That's one prop down. Shall I dispose of the other?" he sneered. The dragon lowered itself back down, its face right in front of Marinette's. "Or do you think a princess can defeat a dragon with a stick?"

"That all depends," grinned Marinette, "...on the STICK!"

She pressed the trigger button on Chat's baton, bracing it with both hands, and it extended as hard as it could... catching the dragon squarely between the eyes with considerable force!

"And if the princess in question knows how to use it," she added. The dragon keeled over, stunned, roaring in pain.

Marinette looked back at Chat Noir, who was still far from having it together, but was staring at her with undisguised and utter awe.

She caught a glimpse of Alya nearby, having made sure Nino was mostly unhurt, staring in amazement at Marinette's stunt and the dragon on its back. "COME ON!" she yelled, breaking Alya out of her shocked state. "Help me get Chat OUT of here while we still can!"

She grabbed Chat's shoulders, Alya got his legs, and they hauled him to the nearest sturdy cover they could find.

* * *

Marinette and Alya dragged Chat Noir into a nearby building, sitting him up on a chair they found inside. He looked reasonably unharmed, thanks to his costume's protection, but he was visibly still quite woozy.

Marinette's head was throbbing, but she knew what she had to do. _I have to keep him and everyone else here safe. Nothing else matters now._

Alya gasped, frantically, "What... Marinette, what were you THINKING just then? That was a SUPERVILLAIN! You were AMAZING facing off with him like that, but -"

Marinette pulled Alya close. "Listen to me, Alya. I need you to focus, _right now_. This is so important! We need your help and no one else can do this right now. _Are you listening?"_

The fire in her eyes was like nothing Alya had ever seen from Marinette before. "...Uh-huh?" Alya managed.

"Okay," began Marinette. "Chat Noir used Cataclysm to protect me. That beeping you hear? He's about to transform back. STAY HERE with him. Make sure he's okay. I can't stay here and watch over him - I need you to be my eyes for me."

"But... if he transforms back next to me, then I'll know who he is!" protested Alya.

"You _know_ who he is," said Marinette, resignedly. _Sorry, Chat, but this is an emergency._ "I think you knew before I did... but that's beside the point. KEEP HIM SAFE FOR ME, okay? And as weird as this is going to sound... if you can do it quickly, find some cheese."

"WHAT?" Alya looked thoroughly perplexed. "What are you talking about, Marinette?"

 _"Trust me._ He's probably going to ask about it when he comes around. There's a reason for it, involving his Miraculous, and he might even have some on him once he changes back. If there isn't any, I'm leaving my purse here - there are macarons in it, he can use one of those as an emergency snack if he has to. But make sure that he gets what he needs once he transforms, and he doesn't run off and follow me before he can transform back. Got it?"

"Got it. Yes... Wait, what? NO! Wait, Marinette!" Alya called, as Marinette moved quickly to the next room, out of line-of-sight to Adrien. "What are YOU thinking you're going to do now?"

"Alya... you're my best friend, you're closer to me than anyone," sighed Marinette. "You were going to figure this out after tonight, one way or another..."

"Figure out WHAT?" cried Alya. "This isn't making any sense, Marinette! What are you-"

"Tikki... SPOTS ON!"

* * *

A flash of white light erased everything that Alya Césaire thought she knew about the world that she lived in.

Alya fell backwards, stumbling over a folding chair and landing on her backside on the floor. "YOU..." she managed.

"Hi, Alya..." said Ladybug. "Yeah. Ladybug's been me, all along. Um... surprise?"

There was nothing left in Alya's vocabulary that would work right now.

"There is only ONE OTHER PERSON in the world who knows what you know now. Not my parents, not Chat... _none of them._ Not yet. Do you understand me?" Ladybug said, sternly.

"I... I do," mumbled Alya. "I... I would never..."

"We will figure this out later, together. Right now, I have to get out there before that thing comes after Chat and everybody else. Okay? Deep breath."

Alya tried to push her soul back into her body, at least metaphorically, and took a couple of deep breaths.

"So, repeat after me, okay?" Ladybug insisted.

"Okay..."

"You're going to go help Chat Noir. Keep him safe. Get him what he needs, including a small snack, as crazy as that sounds. You _will not_ tell him that Ladybug is Marinette. That's for me to tell him - and probably sooner than he knows. Got it?"

Alya repeated it, dutifully, running on autopilot.

Ladybug smiled, then reached out and hugged Alya, tightly. "You've been in my trust longer than you know, Alya... or, should I say, Rena Rouge? Now you're in it all the way. Take care of my beautiful boy."

She grinned, then darted out of the building in a red blur.

Alya stumbled out of the back room, in a daze, watching Ladybug on the move. She heard a faint *whoosh* behind her, which she assumed was Chat Noir reverting to Not Chat Noir.

"Whoa," mumbled a familiar male voice. "Um... Alya?"

"WE ARE SO GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS!" shouted Alya, in Ladybug's general direction.

* * *

The dragon roared happily at Ladybug's approach. "Finally! I've been waiting for you, Ladybug. Jesters and princesses are off the menu, but YOU, I can eat."

"A spicy little thing like me? Indigestion for sure," she quipped, staying well out of its reach. She examined it from afar, looking for signs of the medallion she'd seen around Brother Grimm's neck. _Nothing I can see... and his neck is way too large for it to fit around. Where did it go?_

Ladybug scanned the immediate vicinity. _This isn't a terrible place to fight; innocent people seem to be staying far enough away, there's room to move, and no more buildings to get dropped on me. On the other hand, what am I going to do with this guy? My yo-yo's not going to hurt him or hold him for long, but I need to stall him until Chat recovers..._

A jet of flame interrupted her train of thought, and she dodged it with not much room to spare. _Yikes! I don't think my yo-yo shield would stop that, and I don't know if I'm fireproof! I can't take my eyes off of him for a second. The claws and teeth aren't very promising, either..._

"So, what's your story?" she asked, trying to be distracting. "I'm always curious how people end up falling for Hawkmoth's sales pitch. I mean, I hear he doesn't even give paid vacations or full dental!"

"I'm more of a contractor," the dragon snarled, missing with a claw swipe. "It's a short-term gig, but I set my own hours."

"Hah! It's actually nice to have a villain with a sense of humor, for once!" Ladybug grinned. "I get so many of them that just go GRAAAAARRRGH! and smell bad."

"Happy to oblige!" The dragon moved with surprising quickness and smacked Ladybug with his tail, knocking her over. "I'll try and make this quick and painless. For me, anyway."

"Have you considered switching sides and working with us, instead? We're always hiring!" she parried, brightly, rolling away from a claw intended on pinning her to the ground.

"Tell you what... I'll trade you my resume for your Miraculous," he offered, baring his nasty-looking teeth.

"Um... we'll call you?" Ladybug shot out her yo-yo, trying to pin down his extended arm; he yanked it with impressive strength, sending both it and Ladybug flying. "OOF!" she grunted. "You need to work on your people skills, don't you? Can't really classify you as 'Works well with others.'"

"Not really," cackled the dragon, looming over her fallen form. "But I do work well with people under me."

He opened his mouth and an ominous glow came from his throat. "So, which will it be - your Miraculous, or barbecue?"

Ladybug cringed, covering herself with her arms, knowing it wouldn't make any difference.

* * *

A sudden flying kick to the back of the dragon's head gave Ladybug the opening she needed.

"The lady's not for burning," Chat Noir grinned. "Glad to see you could make it tonight!"

"Likewise! And what a handsome knight you made, while it lasted," Ladybug said.

"Oh, you saw that? I didn't have it on for very long..." Chat gave her a curious look.

"I have eyes everywhere, Kittycat. Plus, I kind of know the designer. Ready to close this book, Chat Noir?"

"If I get a dance with you later, when we're done here," he smiled.

"Maybe more than that," Ladybug fluttered. "LUCKY CHARM!"

The energies over her head coalesced into...

"Well! I can't say that a big, glowing magic sword doesn't fit the theme..." Ladybug pondered, "but 'Off with his head' isn't really my style. Chat?"

"Me, neither. I'm a lover AND a fighter, but not a dragonslayer." He looked at the dragon and asked, "Lucky for you, huh?"

Hawkmoth's energy signature flared. "This is your opportunity, Brother Grimm! That sword is the key to defeating you. Destroy it, before they can use it on you!"

"With pleasure!" The dragon zeroed in on Ladybug and fired a jet of flame at her. Reflexively, she held the sword up, and was mildly surprised when it blocked the flames.

"Is that... supposed to work like that?" Chat boggled.

"Always works in video games!" Ladybug muttered, through gritted teeth. "But it's getting awfully hot..."

The dragon lunged at her. "GET DOWN!", shouted Chat, as a huge clawed fist struck the sword straight-on... and shattered it, leaving Ladybug holding onto little more than its hilt!

* * *

"Gaaah!" she yelled, rolling away. "NOW what are we supposed to do?"

She closed her eyes halfway and scanned the area with LuckyVision... and came up with flashes on the broken sword, Chat's hands, and a spot on the dragon's belly.

 _Why that one spot?_ she wondered. She tried to get a good look at it while avoiding a sweeping tail, and saw a scale more copper-colored than the others... shaped like the medallion she'd seen earlier.

"Chat! Catch!" she yelled, throwing the sword to her partner. "I'll take him down... you follow my lead!"

"It's not so much of a sword as a trowel now, Ladybug!" Chat hollered back, snagging it out of the air.

Ladybug vaulted over the dragon's head, snagging its upper body with her yo-yo and yanking him to the ground. "Use those sharp cat eyes! Look for the one belly scale that's different! It's his medallion - pry it loose!" she ordered.

"ON IT!" he yelled, launching himself forward. The dragon thrashed, nearly freeing itself from its yo-yo binding. Chat looked closely, found the spot...

Gnashing teeth nearly took Ladybug's arm off. "Hurry, Chat!" she cried out...

Deftly, Chat dug into the spot with the magic trowel... twisted it a bit... and flipped a copper medallion loose! "Heads or tails, Bugaboo?" he called.

"Off with his Heads," she grinned.

"Heads it is!" Chat brought the point of the broken sword down on the medallion... and a purple Akuma came fluttering out of the pieces.

Freeing her yo-yo, Ladybug wound up for another toss. "And they all lived happily ever after. Time to DE-EVILIZE!"

* * *

One purification later, the dragon faded back into a middle-aged vendor, and Ladybug and Chat collapsed into a relieved hug. "THAT was a nasty one," Chat said.

"No kidding! Now, let's get all these poor people back to normal..."

Ladybug tossed what was left of the Charm sword into the air. "MIRACULOUS... LADYBUG!" she called out... but it fizzled out, and disappeared!

 _WHAT?_

"There must not have been enough left of the Charm for the magic to work..." said Chat, puzzled. "Now what do we do?"

"Think, Ladybug, think quickly..." she muttered. "I'll need to transform back, feed my Kwami, and make another Lucky Charm and hope that it works. My timer's running out; I'm going to go check on Marinette. You follow in a minute, okay?"

"Sure, but -" Chat began.

Ladybug turned to Chat, leaned forward... and planted a gigantic kiss on him, right on the lips.

Once his heart started back up again, Chat looked like he'd seen a ghost. "What... was THAT for?" he whispered.

"A good luck charm. All the luck I can give you. If you're about to do what I think you're doing with Marinette... that's my blessing for you two. Go get her, Chat."

Giggling, she added, "And I didn't want you to always wonder what that would feel like!" then swung away as her earrings beeped once more.

Not far away, Chat saw Alya and Mylène huddled together in the opening of a nearby tent, just as visibly surprised as he was.

"Did she just..." ventured Mylène.

"Yeah," muttered Chat. "I think."

"Are you all right?" Alya asked, with a big grin as she watched him wobble.

"I'll get back to you on that," he replied.

Chat stood perfectly still, completely gobsmacked. " _Follow in a minute," she says. I'll be able to move again around next Tuesday._

* * *

When Chat arrived at the building where Marinette and Alya had brought him previously, he found Marinette waiting for him, a bit worse for wear for her experience this evening. Her shoes were gone, her tiara bent, her dress ripped and muddied, her hair disheveled... and yet she was still the most beautiful thing he could imagine, just from the way her face lit up at his approach.

"Hi," she said, shyly.

"Hi, yourself," Chat grinned. "Not exactly the romantic evening we had planned, was it?"

"You could say that," sighed Marinette, slumping into a chair. "As long as you and everyone else are all right. Ladybug's going to fix things?"

"Eventually," said Chat. "She needs to recharge first."

 _Hah!_ Marinette giggled, inside. _Even after all that, he STILL doesn't know my secret. Yet._

Chat knelt down beside her. "Marinette... that was the most ridiculously brave thing I've ever seen tonight, when you got between me and Brother Grimm. It astounded me, it touched me deep down, and I never, _ever_ want to see you put yourself in danger like that again!"

"He was going to hurt you. You were helpless. That wasn't going to happen while I was here," she replied, simply.

"If he'd hurt you, that would've been far worse than anything he could've done to me," Chat said, getting visibly emotional. "You _understand_ that, right?"

"I do, Chat. I don't really plan on making a habit of that. Besides," she said, gesturing at her half-destroyed dress, "here's my receipt for that."

"That's not what's important to me, Marinette," Chat replied. "I'm hoping Ladybug's second Lucky Charm can fix that with everything else. But as long as you're okay, what your costume looks like doesn't matter..."

"It does to me! Chat... I just really wanted to be your Princess tonight, for real. To be as beautiful as I could be for you. It was nice while it lasted," she sighed.

"You're not just my Princess, Marinette. Tonight, you were my hero. And everyone's going to see that." He stood up, thinking quickly. "Stay here for just a minute, okay? I'll be right back."

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Fixing our little costume problem. Yours is trashed and mine is gone, right? Don't go anywhere."

Marinette watched him, wide-eyed, as he darted out the door. "How are you doing, Tikki?" she whispered.

"Almost... done," Tikki murmured, her mouth half-full of macaron bits. "I think the second Miraculous Ladybug WILL work and fix your outfit, too, but..."

 _Could Chat possibly be thinking about THAT?_ , she thought to herself.

* * *

Chat Noir dashed around the park grounds, looking for someone he'd seen earlier with a costume fitting what he had in mind.

 _Where'd that guy go... there he is!_

He ran forward and greeted someone with a mouse suit on, a full-body costume covering his head like a sports mascot's. "Hi! You okay in there?" he asked.

A muffled voice said "Um... yeah? Thanks for saving us, Chat Noir!"

"This is going to sound really strange when I ask it, but... are you wearing regular clothes under that suit?" asked Chat.

"I... am?" the voice said, more than a little alarmed. "Why do you want to know?"

"Is it worth a hundred bucks to you for me to borrow that costume for about an hour?"

 _I don't make a big deal out of being from a wealthy family,_ Chat thought, _...but sometimes it sure comes in handy._

* * *

A few minutes later, Marinette heard Chat approach and saw him carrying something bulky. "What... did you just do?" she asked.

"I fixed our costume problem, Marinette," he grinned. "Would you care to tour the grounds with me... as Chat and Mouse? Maybe we can see if we can win Best Couple in the costume contest, even..."

Despite herself, she giggled. "Silly kitty," she said. "I appreciate your effort, but I don't even know if that mouse suit would fit me."

"Oh, this? That costume's not for you, Marinette," Chat smiled.

* * *

 _WHAT?_ she thought. _Then what is he..._

From within her purse, she felt a frantic rattling. "One, er, second?" she said, drawing a confused look from Chat, and turned around to see what had Tikki so agitated.

"WHAT?" she hissed at Tikki. "I'm _kind of occupied_ right now!"

"Marinette! This is super important! TAKE YOUR EARRINGS OUT!" Tikki chattered, with urgency in her tiny voice.

"What? Why?" Marinette whispered.

"I'm sure that I know what he's about to do, and you need to TAKE YOUR EARRINGS OUT! Trust me! I'll be fine, it's okay!" she repeated, emphatically.

Not quite sure why but trusting Tikki's judgment, Marinette took them out and put them in her purse, then faced Chat again with a soft smile on her face. "Okay... now what, sweetie?"

Chat stepped forward and took her hands in his. "Now what... Marinette Dupain-Cheng... is that I love you with all my heart. And I'm done holding _any_ secrets from you. Are you ready? Because there's something that every little bit of me needs to show you, right here, right now."

She nodded, with tears starting to form.

"Claws in," Chat whispered.

Marinette saw a white flash, closed her eyes, slowly opened them...

...and saw Adrien Agreste in his jester suit, his mask removed, his eyes warm and inviting and a little moist, with the same smile he'd given her on the day he'd handed her his umbrella on the school steps.

A smile that could part the seas, a smile that could stop an army, a smile that Marinette knew she'd be happy to grow old next to.

Falling into his arms, all she could whisper as she melted into him was...

"...Finally."

* * *

They held each other closely, not saying a word, both trying to keep from shaking.

"I love you so much, Adrien Agreste," Marinette whispered, with some happy tears. "You know how much I always have."

"It took me long enough to realize it... but I do know. And I'm all yours," he whispered back. "Um, so... you'd figured my identity out already, huh?" he teased her, with a somewhat sheepish grin.

"Of course I'd figured it out!" she burst out laughing. "Did I not drop enough hints, or did I have to hire a skywriting team?"

She kissed him, long and tender, breaking it with a little gasp, eyes closed. "That's a kiss I dreamed of for months, Adrien," she beamed.

"Did it feel different than kissing your Kitty?" he asked.

"I'm... not sure! I'd better try it again. Maybe a few hundred more times," Marinette giggled.

Adrien smiled, then took a deep breath. "When I said I wanted to share everything with you... I meant everything. Close your eyes for me, Marinette."

She closed them tightly, and felt him raise her hand up in front of him. "I meant every word I said earlier. You might've just saved my life back there, defending me like that. You were MY hero tonight. So..."

Marinette felt a ring slip onto her finger. "...now I want you to _be_ my hero, for real, tonight. For the whole world to see."

* * *

Marinette gasped, very loudly. She felt a small surge of power run through her body, much like the first time she'd put on her Ladybug earrings.

 _DID HE JUST... He couldn't have..._

When she opened her eyes, Adrien's smile was wider than ever. A small, floating black cat hovered about a foot away from her face.

"I'm happy to finally meet you in person, Marinette. You can imagine how much I've heard about you," said Plagg, with a tiny but heartfelt grin on his face.

* * *

"Adrien... are you kidding? What did you... just..." gasped Marinette, staring at the familiar silver ring on her finger.

 _No wonder Tikki had me take my earrings off - mixing those two Miraculouses could be amazingly dangerous!_ she thought. _I don't know how the wishes work, if I'd have to do both transformations at the same time, or... best not to chance it._

 _Never mind all that, Marinette, HOLY MOTHER OF CRAP CHAT NOIR I MEAN ADRIEN JUST GAVE YOU HIS MIRACULOUS_

"What you're wearing on your finger is my..." began Adrien.

"Miraculous," Marinette interrupted. "I recognize it... Adrien, you... really want me to do this?"

"I really do," he said. "Even if it's just for tonight, I want my hero, my love to know what it feels like. Just say 'Claws out,' and Plagg here will do the rest."

She looked down into her purse, for confirmation; Tikki gave her the tiniest of nods.

Marinette took a very deep breath, gathered her emotions, did her best not to collapse from sheer happiness, and said...

"...Claws out."

* * *

The transformation energy surrounded Marinette, glowing brightly. It felt... different than Ladybug's transformation ever had.

Tikki's power surge was like a wave of warmth, beckoning her closer, hugging her tightly; Plagg's had more of a rawness to it, a burst of pure adrenaline, readying her for immediate action. Instead of _Let's bring the world closer together,_ it was _Let's have some fun and tear something bad apart!_

It wasn't unpleasant... just very different from what she was accustomed to feeling. Certainly still very much on the side of right, despite its destructive nature.

Unconsciously, she felt herself basing her costume on Chat Noir's, but with some subtle differences. The base suit was thinner and sleeker than Chat's - _a real leather catsuit!_ she giggled in her head. _More ladylike_. Her ears were smaller, placed slightly further back. The domino mask left her blue eyes visible, instead of covering them with cat-eye slits like Chat's did. The claws were there, and felt just as sharp, but to her amusement she saw pink toe-bean circles on the fingertips and palms of her gloves. Her twin pigtails popped loose, with her hair becoming longer and wavier in the back. The tail-belt was shorter, and a little fluffier.

She reached up to feel her face. _Do I have whiskers? No, I don't. I bet they'd look cute on me, though! Maybe if there's a next time, I can talk Plagg into that._

As foreign as the experience was to her, the motions of the transformation felt strangely natural to her, as if she'd done them all a hundred times before. She swiped with her claws, then struck a pose, suppressing the urge to laugh at the silliness of it.

Once the transformation was complete, she examined herself all over, a look of sincere wonder on her face. She looked up at Adrien, his mouth open in a gentle "oh" shape, his own eyes very wide.

* * *

"So..." Marinette grinned, slinking towards Adrien, "...what do you think?"

"I think I'm never going to ask for that ring back," Adrien gasped. "I've never seen anything like you. You look AMAZING."

"It feels so... WILD! That's the only word I have for it," she bubbled, looking over herself some more. "Such ENERGY! This explains SO MUCH about you."

"Hey! What do you mean by that?" grinned Adrien, taking mock offense.

"Oh, just that you're this polite, sweet, quiet boy, and _incredibly handsome,_ did I mention that? And then you transform and you're _still_ incredibly handsome... but you're so much more uninhibited!" she said. "You're full of jokes, you're flirtatious, you're flashy... and, wow, I feel _all of that_ in me right now! It's not, like, forcing me to act like that... I know you said you play it up intentionally when you're Chat... but it just feels more natural now. My body just wants to be in constant motion! It's like I just drank two Red Bulls with a Mountain Dew chaser!"

"So you like it, then?" he smiled.

"Like it? It's purrrrrfectly wonderful!" she grinned, then gasped. "Was that a CAT PUN?"

Adrien laughed hard. "Welcome to my world, Marinette. Or should I call you... _Chaton Noir?"_

"Haha! The Black Kitten! I love it," she cooed, then wrapped Adrien up in a huge hug. "And I love you so much." She felt some more tears coming and didn't fight them this time. "Thank you, Adrien. This is beyond anything I'd dreamed of."

"I love you, Marinette! I'm so happy." Adrien wiped his own eyes, then motioned to the mouse suit he'd borrowed. "Shall I suit up so I can take you out there and show you off?"

"Not on your life, Adrien," Chaton Noir declared, not letting go of him in the slightest. "You just made me look like a million bucks, and made me the happiest girl in the world! I'm not taking you out there dressed like Chuck E. Cheese."

"But it cost me a hundred bucks to borrow it!" he mumbled.

"WHAT? Oh, Adrien, you didn't have to do that," she grinned, slyly, running her fingers through his hair.

"What would you suggest, then? If I take the ring back, you'll go right back to your ripped dress," argued Adrien. "Should we just do Chaton and Jester? Or wait for Ladybug to try to restore your dress?"

"I'm suggesting that there's something I know that you don't know, sweetheart," Chaton Noir whispered, nibbling on his ear, checking for something. _Yes - this'll work just fine..._

"What's that?" he gasped, wriggling under her gentle touch.

Adrien felt her hands reaching up to the sides of his face, very slowly. "That I brought my own change of clothes."

He felt her fingers at his ears, he felt a familiar rush of power wind its way through his body, and his jaw hit the floor.

 _It can't... be..._ His brain tried to process the impossibility of the sensations he was feeling. _My Marinette is..._

"Good thing your ears are pierced," she giggled.

 _...my L-LADYBUG?_

A tiny red figure popped into existence in front of Adrien, floated a little closer, and said, "Hello, Adrien! I'm Tikki. You can imagine that I've heard so much about _you_..."

* * *

Somewhere on the park grounds, an old man sat peacefully on a bench. He couldn't say that he was incredibly comfortable wearing robes, a domino mask and a plastic rat-nose, but he was content to join in his city's merriment and celebration however he could.

A tiny turtle-shaped being, wearing a miniature mask and belt and holding a small stick like a bo staff, floated out of his robe when no one was looking. "Master, it's happened AGAIN! First Plagg, now Tikki! Their auras... They've both slept and reawakened, but they feel so different now!"

"Are they positive auras, Wayzz? Familiar ones?" Master Fu asked.

"Of... course they are! They're... I feel the same Chosen, but they've switched Kwamis! Why would they..."

"Be at ease, Wayzz," chided Master Fu. "Can you not feel it? There is very special magic in the air tonight." He smiled, warmly. "Our Chosen have finally, truly found each other. The balance will be stronger than ever before, even if it is... reversed for a night."

"You're not worried?"

"Not at all," Master Fu smiled. "If you'd only ever tasted vanilla, wouldn't chocolate seem new and exciting? They're trying new... flavors of their identities. They'll likely return to their normal selves by night's end. But for now... this can only bring them even closer. And good for them. They are made for each other, are they not?"

"As always, you are wise, Master," conceded Wayzz.

"Now, relax. Enjoy our night out! And watch out for ninjas," joked the old man.

"Hi-yah!" grinned Wayzz, swinging his miniature staff...

* * *

The familiar cry of "MIRACULOUS... LADYBUG!" was heard, and the park grounds were quickly restored to their former glory and decorations, drawing cheers from the crowds of masqueraders. A few noted that it sounded like a MALE voice, which was unusual, but hey - it worked!, and they went back to their evening's entertainment happily.

"See? You're a natural at that, sweetie," purred a soft, female voice.

"Will Tikki be okay with one more transformation? I used Lucky Charm, so I'm changing back shortly..." said her companion.

"I think so. Give her one of the macarons from my purse, over there; she loves those. That and a few minutes to rest, and she's usually happy to oblige."

"Do we have to trade back?" he asked. "I see what you mean about it feeling different... Tikki's power just feels so..."

"Comfortable?"

"That's a good word for it," he said. "Loving. Peaceful."

"But what would we call you if you stick with this look?" she giggled. "Manlybug? The Red Beetle?"

A beep interrupted his response. "Let me think on that while I let Tikki recharge. Spots off?"

"Yep, that's it," she confirmed, as he transformed in front of her and fetched Tikki's snack, much to Tikki's gratitude. "What do you think, Tikki?" she asked.

"He wouldn't be the first male Ladybug ever... though, usually, even the boys are simply called 'Ladybug,'" Tikki noted.

"I'm secure enough in my masculinity for that! I can be a Ladybug... though, now, I'm jealous! You're a better Ladybug than I am, and you're CERTAINLY a much cuter Chaton than I am..." he laughed.

"Oh, we're going to disagree on THAT, mister," she cooed. "You're adorable with your ears on."

"And YOU'RE adorable with my ears on, too," he replied, earning a few dozen kisses.

A few minutes later, Tikki rubbed her belly and gave the thumbs-up, and Adrien resumed his new identity. "Shall we go for a stroll, my kitten?" he asked with a laugh.

"I thought you'd never ask," Marinette grinned.

* * *

Not far away, Juleka and Rose ran up to Alya and Nino. "Have you seen Marinette? Or Adrien? We can't find them anywhere," Rose worried.

"I... think they might be out of sight for a very good reason," smiled Alya, waggling an eyebrow.

"REALLY?" Juleka looked incredulous. "Wow! It's... about time! But what about Chad? Or, should I say, Chat? I still can't get over that..."

Nino looked to his right and pointed. "I think Chat Noir isn't complaining."

The group turned, and Rose gasped loudly. A sleek, petite, female Chat Noir was walking hand-in-hand with a blonde, male Ladybug, and they were clearly lost in each other's eyes.

"Look at those costumes! They're both PERFECT!" Rose cooed.

"They're... the real thing, Rose! My gosh! That's _really_ Chat Noir and Ladybug... but switched around?" wondered Juleka. "They can DO that?"

"Wow! Aw, I bet they'll win Best Couple for sure!" said Rose.

Alya laughed, "Honey, I don't think they're going anywhere near the judges' stands. They're a little too busy for that."

As if on cue, the pair of heroes melted together into a soft, lengthy kiss.

"Shall we, then?" Juleka laughed, tugging a cooing Rose back down to solid ground again. "We'll drag the story out of Marinette later."

* * *

Marinette's parents wandered in a similar fashion, not terribly worried any more now that Ladybug's magic had done its work, but curious where their daughter and her protector had gotten to.

"...Alix, right?" Sabine asked a familiar-looking girl with long red pigtails. "Have you seen Marinette lately?"

"Not lately," she replied. "The last time I saw Marinette was when she went mental on that dragon guy. I didn't imagine that, did I?"

"Only if we had the same hallucination," said Tom. "How about Adrien?"

"Also not lately. He's been playing disappearing-act all night," said Alix.

"How... about Chat Noir?" asked Sabine, trying to figure out how to even pretend to ask that with any subtlety.

"Now, HIM, I can direct you to," Alix grinned. "But he looks pretty busy right now..."

She pointed, and Tom followed it to see Chaton Noir and Adribug walking together, snuggling and stealing kisses as they wandered.

"Honey?" Tom asked his wife, "Can I ask you something?"

Sabine answered, "Hmmm? What's that, dear?" before looking in that direction and gasping aloud.

"Should I be more worried that our daughter and Chat Noir are swapping clothes... or that she had THAT outfit to lend him?"

* * *

Marinette's parents approached the pair for a closer look. Chaton Noir looked a bit nervous when she saw them coming, but thought, _Well, the way this night's been going... what's one more surprise?_

"Um... hi there!" she waved.

"Marinette? Is that YOU?" her mother asked, as quietly as she could, lest anyone else hear.

"It's me," she grinned. "You could tell?"

"You think I don't know my own daughter?" asked Sabine, smiling broadly. "Even behind a mask?"

Marinette desperately suppressed a huge laugh at the irony of that.

"And...?" Sabine raised an eyebrow at her red-suited companion, a simple gesture that contained a lot of meaning.

"Mmm-hmm," smiled Adrien. "Everything," getting a big grin in return.

"They're real?" Tom asked, gesturing at the costumes, particularly at Ladybug's.

"Yep," Marinette replied, "they are."

"Both of them," Adrien agreed.

"Do I even want to know how?" wondered Sabine.

"Magic?" said Marinette. "That's the best answer I've got for you tonight. But we will talk later, all of us, I promise."

She gave both of her parents a long hug. Adrien considered his options, reached out for a handshake with Tom... and got pulled into a bearhug instead.

As the lovebirds wandered away together, Sabine asked, "Tom? Can I ask YOU something?"

"Go for it."

"Did you ever think that you were really clever, so smart, and you knew you had everything figured out... and then life smacked you upside the head?"

"I've been there," he laughed. "But I think things have a way of working out how they should."

* * *

The heroes walked hand-in-hand for another few minutes... only for Marinette to stop short with a gasp.

"Adrien... I think I forgot one REALLY BIG detail," she said.

"What's that?" Adrien asked.

"Okay - so, my parents know your secret, which is fine. Our friends will know that Adrien and Marinette are a couple now, 'Chad' will disappear, and Chat Noir and Ladybug are romantic now. Alya knows everything, and I actually have a pretty great idea for her going forward, but our identities are still secret from our other friends. But..."

Marinette's eyes were huge. "What happens when my parents see the real Ladybug kissing the real Chat Noir?"

Adrien pondered this. "WILL they see that? I mean... we can be discreet, can't we?"

"Maybe you can be discreet, but you don't know what you woke up in me, Mister," grinned Marinette, returning to her thoughtful expression quickly. "And you know how the paparazzi are - we weren't even together then, and Nadja ambushed us with all those suggestive pictures of us. What will they dig up when we ARE feeling frisky in costume?"

"Oh! That's a good point," he replied, looking a bit worried himself.

"They're going to see you and Ladybug and think that you're cheating on me! In public, even!" she worried. "You realize what this means, right?"

"Either we have to keep our hands and lips off each other everywhere in public... which would be a real test of willpower for both of us..." Adrien ventured.

"...or I have to tell my parents, once and for all, that I'm Ladybug."

* * *

"Whoa." Adrien looked just as worried. "Is that even an OPTION?"

"I don't know," Marinette mumbled. "I mean... they _are_ really supportive of me. AND you. And I do kind of have to explain where you got a Ladybug costume from just now... though that could be fudged, if we have to. You lent me your Miraculous, she lent you hers, she's walking around the Masquerade as herself right now."

"Think they'd buy that?" he asked.

"Maybe? They might or might not prefer that to reality! Or maybe they already know, just from seeing us just now. I don't want them to worry that I'm putting myself in danger... OR them... but I don't want to lie to them, either."

"C'mere," Adrien gestured, sitting down on a bench and motioning her to join him. "Let's talk this out, okay? Tonight is as happy as I've ever seen you, and I'm going to get you that happy again one way or another." Marinette climbed onto his lap, put her arm around him and laid her head on his shoulder.

"For one thing... if you tell them, but you don't tell anyone else _but_ them, it's not putting them in danger directly, is it? They already know one hero's secret and I trust them completely with that. They'd guard yours even more closely."

"That's true," allowed Marinette. "They wouldn't be any more of a target than they would've been otherwise."

"As for worrying... every parent... okay, almost every parent worries about their kids," Adrien added. "Your mom and dad would be worried already, just because their daughter is snuggled up with someone who IS a target. And they're amazing for having accepted that, like they have... so wouldn't they worry LESS if they knew their daughter has superpowers, is Paris's greatest butt-kicking hero, and can punt anyone across the room who gives her trouble?"

"I don't know," Marinette whimpered, putting her free hand to her forehead. "They could be terrified that I'm putting myself in harm's way all the time! And I am."

"I'm not saying it'll be easy to tell them," Adrien sympathized. "Like, I can't imagine telling MY father that I put on cat ears and fight crime. He'd superglue me to my bedroom floor! Probably more from worrying about his investment in his star model than about my welfare, but..."

Marinette gave him a look. "Don't you even go there, Adrien. Not now."

"I'll put it another way, then," he smiled. "If a hundred-foot broccoli stalk tries to eat a shopping district next week, and they go looking for you at home, and you're not there... would they worry more if they know you're Ladybug, or if you're simply gone without a trace? That's something that you're already dealing with sometimes, I'm sure."

"Do you really think I should tell them, Adrien?" she asked, pleadingly.

"I'm not going to pressure you... any more than you pressured me to tell you MY identity. Which you totally didn't, by the way - you let me decide the right time and place, and I'm very glad you did, because it made tonight all the more magical. So give it some thought, okay? And let me know how I can help. I can be standing there next to you, holding your hand if you decide to tell them, or I can let you do it privately. Or I can help with a cover story." Adrien stroked the cat-eared head resting on his shoulder. "But more than ever before, Bugaboo, we're in this together."

"I wouldn't say I _never_ pressured you," smiled Marinette, "unless you're forgetting a certain night of Ultimate Mecha Strike 3 and some interesting wagers."

"That's not a night I'm forgetting any time soon," Adrien said. "How's your hand that I kissed, by the way?"

"Still tingles," she giggled. "Except now every bit of the rest of me does, too."

"We are going to figure this out... together," replied Adrien, "just like we will everything else."

"Together," purred Marinette, leaning up for yet another kiss, "is a word I could get used to hearing for a very, very long time."

* * *

Next time: Our epilogue.

* What _will_ Marinette decide to tell her parents... and how will they react?

* Now that Alya knows what she knows... how might she fit best into this new reality?

* Just how interested IS Gabriel in the footage of last night's superfight... and a certain person who was in the middle of it?

* Marinette's circle of friends are definitely going to want answers, too...

* And our saga comes to its peaceful conclusion.


	14. Just One More Thing

The Marinette Project, Chapter 14: Just One More Thing...

* * *

As the evening grew late, Chaton Noir snuggled up in Adribug's arms and whispered, "We really ought to change back... Though I _am_ going to steal this ring from you every so often! I still love the way this costume feels."

Adribug asked, "What's the rush, darling?"

Chaton grinned. "Well... our friends are probably scouring the park to figure out why Marinette and Adrien disappeared at the same time... for an hour or two. Ever hear the song 'Wake Up Little Susie?'"

Adribug blushed. "Ah... yeah! We might want to make an appearance as ourselves, before someone sends out a search party."

With a "Spots off!" and a "Claws in!", they prepared to do exactly that, returning their Miraculouses to their usual places. Marinette was delighted to see that Miraculous Ladybug had indeed repaired her princess dress, and Adrien was back in his jingly jester suit.

Marinette wrapped herself around Adrien once more and smiled, "Plus, I have a burning need inside to go show you off, Adrien Agreste... now that you're mine."

"Mmm-hmm," Adrien grinned. "Shy, innocent Marinette Dupain-Cheng wants to take a public victory lap? Chat Noir is such a bad influence on you."

"Let's keep it that way," she winked.

* * *

Once back out in the open, it didn't take long for Marinette's circle of friends to gravitate to her and Adrien, with a thousand and one questions pouring out.

"I am SO HAPPY for you two! I've been shipping you two all year long!" bubbled Rose, beside herself with giddiness.

"Shipping?" Marinette wondered aloud.

"I'll explain it to you later," Adrien laughed. "It's a good thing."

Alix piped up, "Now... could we _maybe_ get an explanation as to what the heck happened here tonight? You came here with a boyfriend, who turned out to be a superhero. Then you fought a dragon one-on-one - AND WON - and now you're back from making out with Adrien. What gives?"

"Making out is an extremely specific phrase..." Marinette ventured.

"And we're all hoping it's an extremely accurate one," giggled Juleka. "But talk to us! Chad was Chat Noir all along? And now he's with Ladybug? THAT'S new, too, isn't it?"

"Okay, okay, everybody sit down for a minute! I'll tell you as much as I can..." offered Marinette, trying to pull the conversation as far from "Are YOU Chat Noir, Adrien?" as she could.

* * *

"You're right, Alix, there never really was a 'Chad Black.' What's French for 'black? Say it to yourself that way," Marinette began, with a big grin.

The light bulb went on over each of their heads, one at a time. Adrien was rather surprised to see that Rose got it first, with a giggly gasp.

"THAT opens up a lot more questions than it answers," accused Alix. "Spill!"

"If it'll make you feel any better, I didn't know until yesterday, either," Mylène added, joining the circle with Alya and Nino. She took one look at Marinette and Adrien snuggled together, pointed at his arm over her shoulders, and stuck her hand out in Alya's direction. "Ahem!" she coughed.

Alya reached into her purse and pulled out a ten-Euro note. "Fine!" she laughed. "Best bet I ever lost."

"You were BETTING on us hooking up?" Adrien boggled.

"Anyway..." Marinette continued, choosing to ignore that completely, "Chat Noir and I have been good friends for nearly this whole school year! We met during one of the early Akuma attacks - Nathaniel's, I think - and we hit it off so well. He's been coming to visit me at my house for months - not for that, don't even go there, Alix! Just to talk and hang out."

Alix's grin said enough without her saying a word out loud.

Juleka asked, "So why did you never tell us about him?"

"He's a superhero, with a secret identity, Juleka! And, no, I don't know THAT, either!" whistled Marinette. "That was part of our deal - I had to promise to keep whatever secrets of his happened to leak out. He's pretty good at keeping his private life secret."

"And a lot of other things, I'll bet," Alya grinned, drawing a glare from Marinette.

"It wasn't like that, and you know it," Marinette chuckled. "We had our own little Lonely Hearts club, talking about all kinds of things, but a whole lot about how Chat was falling so hard for Ladybug and I had SOMEBODY I was crushing on..." She laid her head on Adrien's shoulder, making him redden. "We were trying to help each other, not fall for each other. He's an absolute sweetheart, SO different in private than he is in public, but we were both in love with other people, and that worked really well for us."

"And I can actually pick up the story from there," Adrien smiled.

"...You can?" asked Marinette, a little startled.

* * *

"Yeah, because I was part of what happened next! I... also know Chat Noir - same kind of deal, we met months ago, he's a cool guy! So around the time that school was ending, I noticed that Marinette was looking really down and sad over things, and I mentioned that to Chat when I saw him. He got a funny look on his face, and he said, 'You know what? I think I know why. She has a guy she's been crushing on, and I think he's in your school... I bet I can help her finally win his heart this summer, and get her confidence up enough for her to tell him how she feels.'"

Marinette jumped a little at that, but said nothing yet.

Rose looked confused. "He didn't tell you that it was YOU?"

"Neither of us knew that! SOMEBODY never told Chat who it was... and I was too clueless to notice it for myself," admitted Adrien. "I mean, I knew all along that Marinette was absolutely wonderful... but I needed someone to open my eyes for me, because I just saw her as a friend, like the idiot I was! So Chat started visiting Marinette quite a bit..."

Marinette did some mental math... and her eyes went huge. _Wait - THAT'S how... all this started?_

Mentally, she retreated from the conversation a little bit. _I think my brain just broke. In the beginning, Chat wasn't trying to win me for HIMSELF, but to help me get confident enough to win ADRIEN?_

 _Holy crap! It all makes sense now... I bet HE sent those secret admirer daisies, and never told me! And even when he was falling for me himself, he was prepared to hide that if it meant that I'd get the guy I loved, that neither of us knew was actually HIM! If I hadn't pried out of him that he saw me through Ladybug's mask, and that's who he'd really fallen for..._

Marinette gave Adrien a look of pure adoration, jolting him out of his sentence for a moment. Adrien swore he could actually see little hearts floating behind her head.

* * *

"So... yeah, Chat was the sweetest guy on the PLANET," Marinette cooed, "and he and I got closer these last few weeks... and from what we learned from each other, I started flirting with Adrien, and Chat started flirting BETTER than he did before with Ladybug..."

Adrien wrinkled his nose at the insinuation that Chat Noir could ever be anything less than debonair, but let it go.

"And Chat and I came up with an idea to get him, me, Adrien AND Ladybug all here," she bluffed. "Plus, he thought the whole 'Chad' thing was hilarious, so we thought, hey, let's roll with it! We can pretend to be a couple for a night and make people wonder, at least. We'd find out what kissing each other felt like! But we also figured that if I finally told Adrien how I feel, and if he told Ladybug how HE feels... we might both end up with who we wanted all along. And it WORKED!" Marinette squealed, kissing Adrien on the cheek.

From afar, Marinette saw Sabrina in the distance, seeing them and pointing them out to Chloe. _Go ahead, make Chloe mad!_ Marinette thought, giggling inside. _If she makes a scene here, the price of her dress renovations triples!_

"It certainly did," Adrien said, pulling Marinette closer. "Once Marinette told me, I realized just how much she really means to me..."

"Like I'd been saying ALL YEAR LONG that you would, if she'd just TOLD you..." interjected Alya.

"I know! But I'm beyond terrible at that sort of thing!" sighed Marinette, happily. "But tonight, I finally swallowed hard and told Adrien I loved him... and here we are."

"And from what we saw, Chat Noir and Ladybug are just as happy being a couple now!" Rose giggled. "And even kissier than you two are!"

Adrien raised an eyebrow. "That means we have some catching up to do!" He lowered Marinette in a theatrical dip and kissed her quickly, ignoring her when she briefly squeaked out embarrassed protests.

This got a cheer from the group, drawing the attention of some of their other classmates nearby. "Kim, Max, get over here!" called Mylène, beckoning to them. "Boy, do we have a story for YOU..."

* * *

"There IS one more thing I want to know about," challenged Alix. "It involves a freakin' DRAGON."

"Oh, him!" smiled Marinette. "Now, THAT, we weren't expecting."

"And we weren't expecting to see you fight him off with a baton and a trash can lid!" Alya marveled. "What possessed you to even THINK to try that?"

Marinette grew serious. "Chat Noir saved my life back there, when that tower collapsed; that probably would've killed me if he hadn't protected me! That really hit home for me. He's always been a good friend to me, but that was... special. Then he used his Cataclysm to free us, which meant that he only had a couple of minutes and then he'd be helpless. I saw him lying there and I just... I just couldn't let that happen to my friend and my hero. He means that much to me."

It was Adrien's turn to look at Marinette with pure adoration.

"Now, it probably wasn't my SMARTEST decision ever," she chuckled, drawing a laugh from the group. "But I knew something the villain didn't - that I knew how Chat's baton worked. He'd shown me, a long time ago... so I figured that if the dragon got close enough, I could surprise him and then we could run for it."

"And I saw her do that, and I was absolutely terrified that she was going to get hurt... or worse..." Adrien added, "so once she got clear, I made sure I caught up to her and talked her into hiding somewhere safer with me."

"And then we started talking..." said Marinette.

"And then we started kissing..." said Adrien.

"And then we kept kissing," beamed Marinette.

"And then you made his jester bells jingle?" asked Alya, with a big grin.

"A gentleman never tells such things," Adrien chided her.

Alya laughed, "That's why I asked her, not you!", drawing a huge laugh from the group.

* * *

Once everyone's stories had been swapped, it was late enough that most of the kids went their separate ways and headed home. Alya kissed Nino goodnight, then stuck around to talk with Marinette and Adrien.

"So..." Alya ventured, "I need to talk to you two about some things I learned tonight..."

"Yeah," said Adrien, looking away shyly. "I was expecting to give up my secret identity to Marinette tonight... but to YOU was a surprise."

"Oh, I'd figured that out days ago," Alya grinned.

Adrien stiffened and looked at Marinette, who shrugged. " _I_ didn't tell her," she replied.

"But that Marinette was LADYBUG... that absolutely shocked me," continued Alya. "And she and I have a LOT to talk about... but first, um, Adrien, I want you to know that your secret is safe with me. And to prove it, I'm hoping Rena Rouge's secret will be safe with you, too."

Adrien looked puzzled for a moment, then caught on. "That's YOU? That... actually makes sense, now that I think about it."

"So now the three of us have run out of secrets," Marinette mused. "And I know you're not a full-time hero, Alya... I'd rather keep you as one of our secret weapons, for when we really need the extra help. But I had a wild idea after the fight, and I think I know a way that you could be a HUGE help without transforming all the time."

Marinette leaned in close. "Something that'll use your reporter's instincts, your knack for gathering information about everything in Ladybug's world, and that could make a real difference in fighting villains. Would you be interested in that?"

Alya nodded. "Definitely!"

"Here's what I was thinking about..."

* * *

A little while later, Chat Noir spun down onto Marinette's balcony with her, her dress billowing in the wind as they traveled from rooftop to rooftop.

"What an amazing night!" Marinette sighed, pulling Chat close yet again. "But I wouldn't have had it any other way."

"The feeling is mutual, love bug," Chat purred, sinking into another kiss.

"I... do have one thing I need to talk to you about before you leave, Chat," Marinette added. "I mean, besides the Ladybug thing - I have a feeling I'll hear about THAT the moment I get inside."

"Do you want me to come in with you?" asked Chat. "I'll be right there next to you, if you need me."

"Maybe tomorrow, you can come by and the four of us can talk about it," she assured him. "I can do this on my own, and I want you to get home before your dad wonders why Adrien never came home. But that's... actually part of what I need to figure out."

"What's up?" asked Chat, interested.

"When Brother Grimm faced off with me as the dragon... he said he wasn't supposed to hurt ME. Not Ladybug... Marinette. Then when I came back as Ladybug, he said something about 'Jesters and princesses aren't on the menu, but YOU, I can eat,'" Marinette said. "Why... would a villain not only know who you and I are, but have orders not to attack us in particular?"

Chat paused. "That is... oh. That IS unusual." He pondered it for a moment. "I... REALLY don't like those implications."

"Me, either," Marinette worried. "THAT suggests that Hawkmoth... is someone who knows the two of us."

"And has a reason to care about you and I, specifically... or at least some kind of use for us, or something," said Chat. "But who..."

His face darkened.

"I almost didn't want to say it," trembled Marinette. "But we suspected him once before."

"But he was Akumatized, as the Collector! ...But, then again, you saw Adrien and Chat in the same place together once, too," theorized Chat. "I really need to think about this."

"Don't do anything rash," Marinette asked him. "Don't just up and accuse him. I could be WRONG! And I don't want to wreck your relationship with your father if I am. And if I'm RIGHT, I wouldn't want you to confront him without Ladybug at your side! Just... when you go home tonight... be careful for me, okay? Just watch what you say and do for a while. If something happened to you, it would shatter me to pieces! Especially now."

"I promise, I'll be careful. I'm glad you mentioned that - I'd rather have my radar up than get blindsided," Chat admitted. "Thank you for that... and for loving me."

"Oh, that part I can't help," grinned Marinette, putting her arms around him.

"Should I transform back to Adrien for a goodnight kiss?" Chat asked.

"That's up to you," she purred. "But whether you have your ears on or not... you're always going to be my Kitty."

They shared one last, long kiss for the night, and then Chat Noir headed for home, wondering if the people of Paris could see him glowing against the night sky.

Marinette smiled warmly, watching him disappear into the evening, then turned to Tikki. "Okay, let's get inside and hang this dress up... and see if we have one more scary conversation waiting for us before bedtime."

Tikki looked up at her. "I'm trusting your judgment, Marinette... whatever you decide. That trust is more than earned."

"Thank you... that means a lot to me," Marinette smiled back, then opened the hatch and dropped down into her bedroom.

* * *

Back at the Agreste mansion, some time later, Nathalie checked in with her unusually agitated employer.

"Riddle me this," Gabriel began. "A powerful villain appears, destroying large chunks of the park without effort. He not only takes on one of Paris's superheroes... but defeats him, using his own heroic tendencies against him. And then finds himself challenged... and actually FLATTENED... by an ordinary teenage girl, protecting that hero with all her might and will, at great personal risk."

Gabriel ran his fingers along his temples, trying to make sense of what had happened. "What kind of young woman goes face to face with a supervillain, who'd nearly killed her once by accident... then face to face with a literal DRAGON... that actually _breathed fire_ at her... and still stands her ground?"

Nathalie said, "A girl with a supremely important reason, who felt like she had no other choice? Who was defending someone she loved? Who'd just had her life saved and felt obligated to return the favor?"

"Something like that, any one of those," Gabriel mused. "But that kind of overwhelming protective impulse speaks to something even bigger going on. She not only stood her ground... but knew how the hero's weapon worked, and used it successfully. What does that suggest to you?"

"That our young lady is far more familiar with Chat Noir than most," replied Nathalie. "And then not long afterwards, she disappeared and Ladybug arrived to carry on the fight. Do you suppose...?"

"It is possible... but I will not leap to that conclusion without more evidence," cautioned Gabriel. "I've been... wrong about heroic identities before, just as they have been wrong about mine, and wherever a villain is, Ladybug is usually quick to arrive. However, let's add up what we know, shall we? Miss Dupain-Cheng is very close with Chat Noir; that evidence is circumstantial, but also overwhelming. You had told me that she was not Adrien's girlfriend largely because she was in a relationship with someone else. Could that someone else... be our feline foe?"

"From what Adrien told me when he got home tonight... and from the absolute joy he was radiating... THAT has changed," smiled Nathalie. "You'll be interested in knowing that she and your son are now very much a couple."

"And even that raises its own questions," Gabriel replied, folding his hands. "I suspected Adrien once of being Chat Noir... and he quelled those suspicions. I saw him and Chat Noir in the same place together. But could I have been fooled, somehow... just as I fooled Chat Noir by becoming the Collector?"

He leaned forward. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Adrien Agreste. Ladybug. Chat Noir. Four individuals... who appear to be linked in mysterious ways. Perhaps multiple ways. And I sense that somewhere in that web of relationships, lies SOMETHING that will be key to achieving what I must as Hawkmoth."

"The starting point is obvious," stated Nathalie. "The piece of that puzzle that lives under your own roof, and is now romantically involved with the second piece."

"Indeed," agreed Gabriel. "And we have several reasons to bring that second piece much closer. She is now dating my son, she crafted the remarkable dress you showed me, she stood toe-to-toe with one of my villains without flinching, she has some level of intimate familiarity with Chat Noir... no matter who he is."

He came to a decision. "We will tread lightly, for now, and not tip our hand. Tell Adrien tomorrow that I am delighted about his new relationship, and that I am equally impressed by his new love's design talent. Whether he chooses to invite her here for dinner some night, or if I should summon her to discuss a summer internship, perhaps... I will be most interested in meeting this young woman, personally."

Gabriel smiled, slightly unnervingly. "And I suspect that she will have a great deal waiting for me to discover..."

* * *

Once in her room, Marinette removed her tiara - _that_ , she suspected, she would get herself a trophy case for, to remember the Night That The Most Wonderful Impossible Incredible Thing Ever finally happened - and carefully removed and hung up her dress, changing into some comfortable pajamas and slippers.

"Don't go too far, Tikki..." she said quietly, "I have a strange feeling that I may need you before long."

"I can ride along in a pocket, if you like," offered Tikki.

"I'd like that," said Marinette. "It'll help my nerves if I know you're with me."

"It's okay, Marinette," soothed Tikki. "The truth is usually for the best. But only go as far as you feel you want to tonight."

Marinette came downstairs with a big grin on her face and butterflies in her stomach, finding her parents waiting for her in the living room.

"THERE'S my lucky girl!" called Tom, reaching out to sweep Marinette up into a hug. "Congratulations, honey!"

Sabine ran over and hugged her from the other side. "You and Adrien looked so amazing out there tonight! In... all your costumes."

"I know, right?" bubbled Marinette. "I couldn't BELIEVE IT when he gave me his Miraculous to try! It fit like a glove, and it came out all feminine! It was SO cute!"

"That was quite the costume Adrien had, too!" Tom noted. "Can we... talk about that for a few minutes?"

"I had a funny feeling you'd want to," conceded Marinette. "Yeah, let's talk about that."

* * *

"First off," Sabine began, "I had the strange experience tonight of watching my fourteen-year-old daughter pick up a trash can lid and a stick... and fight a fire-breathing dragon with them. I'm PRETTY sure that took about five years off my life."

"Like I told my classmates, that MIGHT not have been my smartest decision ever," smiled Marinette. "But Chat had just risked his life to protect me, and he was moments away from being helpless, right in front of that villain. It was the only thing I could think of to do to save him."

"How DID you do that?" Tom asked.

"Chat showed me how his baton works - you push a button and it extends, for as long you hold it, then push again to retract it. So if you brace it at one end... it shoots out like a rocket on the other. I knew that, and I knew the villain didn't," she explained. "If that didn't work, plan B was to run like crazy, because I had nothing else... but I had to buy Chat as much time as I could to recover."

"Just... never again. Please? At least not while your parents are watching," Sabine shuddered.

"I'll do my best. Next dragon, I'm running, I promise."

"Now, the other thing that really had me wondering..." Tom debated how to phrase his next question. "When you were wearing Chat's costume... Chat was wearing Ladybug's, and it looked... very real. You told me it was real, in fact. So... Marinette..."

"...where DID that costume come from?" finished Sabine.

"From Ladybug, naturally," whistled Marinette. "She and Chat transformed back, Chat gave me his Miraculous, Ladybug gave him hers."

"I did figure out that much," Tom mused. "And where did Ladybug go, once she'd transformed back to... herself?"

"Not... far," mumbled Marinette. _I'm not getting out of this one... and I guess that's okay._

Marinette stood up, shaking like a leaf inside. "Mom, Dad? There's... something that I really need to explain to you... and to show you."

* * *

Tom and Sabine both leaned forward, trying not to look as alarmed as they felt.

"You remember that day when Chat first came and had dinner with us, and he told you all about how he became Chat Noir in the first place?" began Marinette.

"Uh-huh..." said Sabine, almost registering what she was hearing.

"He told you how he was selected by someone he didn't know, it was a complete surprise to him, and even though he didn't expect it he felt like he needed to live up to the responsibility, remember?" Marinette added. "And he said that he expected that Ladybug was chosen the same way."

The room was silent.

Marinette swallowed hard, closed her eyes, and said...

"...She was."

* * *

She heard her mother gasp, quite loudly. _Okay, deep breath, Marinette. You can do_ _this._

"Mom, the day you found out that Chat Noir was Adrien... did he introduce you to his Kwami?" asked Marinette.

"His... what?" Tom asked, confused.

"He did," replied Sabine. "Tom, it's a... well, I guess you could say, magical fairy, or pixie, or something? It's part of the Miraculous. Adrien's was a cat, of course."

"I hope you don't mind that you've had an unexpected houseguest you didn't know about, ever since the first day of school," said Marinette, as gently as she could. "Mom, Dad... I would like you to meet Tikki."

The tiny red Kwami floated out of Marinette's pocket with a warm smile, causing Sabine's eyes to widen with wonder and Tom to stumble backwards. "WHAT in the..." he stammered.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Dupain, Mrs. Cheng," cooed Tikki. "My name is Tikki, and I am your daughter's Kwami, the spirit of her Miraculous. Your daughter is a truly remarkable young woman, and I am honored to partner with her."

Tom reached out, very hesitantly, with one finger. "I'm... not dreaming this, right?" he said.

"You can touch me," Tikki giggled, "but please be gentle! I'm very ticklish."

"That's... okay," laughed Tom, pulling his hand back. "I'll take your word on that. How does this... work?"

"The Miraculous takes the form of an item of jewelry - in Ladybug's case, it's a set of earrings..." the Kwami began. "When a new owner claims it, that calls me into existence to be a guide and advisor. When Marinette puts the earrings on..."

"...I nearly put those on, the other day!" realized Sabine.

"And we very nearly met that day," Tikki smiled. "Fortunately, you were just being tidy. Anyway, shall we show her, Marinette?"

"Yes, let's," said Marinette, putting the earrings on. "All I have to do is have them on, and then say to Tikki... SPOTS ON!"

* * *

A white flash filled the room, briefly... and the impossible became real.

"My daughter... is LADYBUG? My daughter is Paris's greatest hero?" Tom repeated to himself. "I... don't know what to say!"

"I am SO sorry that I couldn't tell you before now. This is something that is under extreme secrecy, and you can see why," Ladybug apologized. "Just like Chat told you that night, the very last thing I'd ever want to do is put you two in danger. Before tonight, there was only one other person on Earth who knew my secret - and it wasn't Chat."

"HE didn't know?" marveled her mother. "And you didn't know his? And you still... found each other, and fell in love?"

"It wasn't easy," groaned Ladybug. "I was in love with Adrien, who was Chat Noir... and Chat Noir was in love with Ladybug, who was me. And neither of us had any idea, all that time! And Chat used to come here, and we'd talk about our romantic problems..."

"...And you were right in front of each other when you did! And either of you could've said two words and... oh, HONEY, come here!" Sabine wrapped up Ladybug in a tight hug. "I knew how crazy pining for Adrien was making you, and to think you were that close!"

"A couple of days ago, that day that I was crying... that was the day Adrien realized how I'd felt. And when I saw how terrible that made him feel, I wanted to jump off a bridge," Marinette breathed. "But, well... things obviously got a whole lot better. And now we both know... and you two know... and I felt so _horrible_ hiding this secret from you all this time..."

Ladybug teared up in Sabine's arms. "It's okay," her mother soothed. "It's okay, Marinette."

"Spots off," Ladybug whispered, changing back to Marinette.

"It's partly my fault," Tikki stated, as she reappeared. "I asked her to keep it a complete secret, unless absolutely necessary, even from her parents. Every person who knows is someone who might get Akumatized, or let the secret slip by accident... But I've spent the last year watching you two with Marinette, and I couldn't think of two more trustworthy people than you. And I've never known a better Ladybug than Marinette in my five thousand years."

"You realize how crazy all this sounds to us, right?" marveled Tom.

"I do! This is definitely not the first conversation I've had like this. But it's all true," assured Tikki.

"Mom? Dad? Are you... okay with this?" Marinette asked, nervously. "It's a lot to take in."

"I am always going to worry, you know that, right?" sniffed Sabine. "But I was always going to worry anyway, because you're my little girl! And if you ARE going to go out fighting dragons and supervillains, although I'd RATHER you didn't," she laughed, "I'd rather have you have superpowers than a trash can lid. And I know you have the best partner in the world."

"And if you think we had each other's backs BEFORE... imagine how protective we'll be now," smiled Marinette. "Dad? Are you okay?"

She caught her breath, just a little bit, because she couldn't remember the last time she'd ever seen her father cry.

"I'll be all right..." he managed, with a smile. "It's just going to be really tough being the single proudest father in all of Paris."

Marinette ran into his arms. "I promise we'll always be careful... and I'll always make you proud."

* * *

A couple of days later, Marinette was helping her father in the bakery, putting her creative energy to use with some intricate cupcake icing.

Her phone buzzed with a familiar ringtone. She checked, and found a message from Alya:

 **[Alya]** **We have a sighting... Headed down now to get my OTHER ears on.**

 **[Alya] Meet Chat at the Eiffel and we'll coordinate.**

"Uh-oh! Looks like you-know-who's at it again... Dad, may I be excused?" asked Marinette.

"Of course! Duty calls, dear," her father smiled. "Just be CAREFUL, okay?"

"I will," she assured him, kissing him on the cheek. "I'll be back soon, I'm sure."

On the way upstairs, she tapped her earrings as she passed her mother in the kitchen, to indicate what was happening. "Good luck, dear! Tell Chat we said hi!," Sabine called out in passing.

"I will, I promise! Luck is my specialty," she grinned back. Marinette reached the balcony, transformed, and swung out towards the Eiffel Tower.

When she got there, she found Chat perched about halfway up, waiting for her. He greeted her with a hug, then pulled out his communicator. "Rouge One, you online?" he asked.

In her bedroom, Alya replied, "Rouge One is here! Whatever Plagg did to this headset and tablet of mine, they're picking up your frequency clear as day!"

"Awesome!" smiled Ladybug. "So what have we got waiting for us today?"

Alya looked around the information center she'd set up around her computer desk. "I got tips of an Akuma sighting from LadyBlog users, somewhere around Montmartre. Police scanner confirms an Akuma got somebody - we think it's a middle-aged woman. She's holed up in the Salvador Dali museum... here!" She tapped away at the tablet in her lap. "I'm sending you a floor plan, she's on the second floor, according to what the TV news is saying now. I'm Googling everything I can on the museum and its history, I'll send you everything relevant. Not sure on her powers or her Akumatized object yet... "

"How did we get along without you coordinating things, Alya?" Chat grinned.

"Beats me. I take payment in small bills and cream puffs," laughed Alya.

"All right, then. Keep us informed, and thank you so much!" called Ladybug.

"Just turn your microphones off before you get all kissy!" Alya teased.

Chat put his communicator away, then took Ladybug's hand. "Well, how about it, my lady? A kiss for luck?"

Ladybug pushed him away by the nose, the way she always used to. "You know better than that," she said... then yanked him in very close to her.

"For luck, it'll take at least five or six," she grinned, eagerly.

A moment later, it was finally time for actual crimefighting. Chat leapt away and Ladybug launched her yo-yo, with an uncharacteristic "WOO-HOO!" escaping from her lips as she took to the air. She grinned at Chat and Chat at her, and she could see at a glance how happy he was... and a strange sense of peace came over her.

She laughed out loud, and Chat asked, "What is it?"

"Nothing, sweetie," she smiled.

 _From the day my Miraculous came into my life... and YOU came into my life, Adrien Agreste... everything has been one big ongoing puzzle for me, with a million pieces all jumbled up. I've been trying to put together what to do with my family, my friends, my crush, even myself._

 _Finally... all my pieces fit._

* * *

~fin~

Thank you for reading.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES: IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT MY RAMBLINGS YOU CAN STOP READING NOW THANK YOU

First off, I am sincerely grateful to the MLB community for reacting to this story the way that you have. If I compare traffic, stats, etc. to my other stories, this one's absolutely through the roof and I have been consistently floored by your responses and praise. Thank you to everyone, and I really mean it.

(It's also an object lesson for me: Write a Ladrien multi-parter, and people like it but don't go crazy. Write a MariChat multi-parter, and the world comes running. Picking The Right Ship for your audience is important, folks.)

People have been asking me about a TMP sequel for a while now. It should be obvious that, just in case, I wrote in a handful of plot hooks to make that possible. With Marinette's parents now in the know, the new active role for Alya, what the classmates now know about Marinette and Adrien (both their relationship and that Chat and Marinette were close before this), Ladybug and Chat's couplehood being kind of an open secret now, Gabriel's new focus on Marinette, Marinette's renewed suspicions of Gabriel, inevitable complications of "this many people on earth know both Marinette and Adrien's secrets" climbing from one to six... this could move forward in the future. Heck, I could see a chapter just of Tikki getting to know Tom and Sabine better. Another dinner at Marinette's. Dinner at ADRIEN's. The whole dynamic has changed, and not just for Our Heroes... so there IS some room there.

The problem is, I want to have a core concept for a theoretical Book II that's as good as I had for Book I before I'd even start it.

TMP spawned from a conversation I had with a reader of Reservations For Two... More May Be Coming. (And if you haven't read that and you like fluff, do it! There's a little Marichat goodness in that, too, I promise, even though it's Ladrien-centered.) It got me thinking about self-identity for two kids who juggle multiple identities, at an age where "Who am I, really?" is a common question for those who DON'T have Miraculouses. Where does Marinette end and Ladybug begin, really? Is it simply a costume change and confidence from having powers, or is there more going on? Does Marinette "Clark Kent" with Ladybug successfully, or do the people who get to know her well see right through that?

Her father's offhand comment ("Aren't half the boys of Paris crushing on Ladybug?") rocked her world because, frankly, she'd never even considered that as a possibility. (And it does amuse me that one line from Tom ended up being the catalyst for this whole thing.) Tikki's follow-up ("Chat crushed on the surface Ladybug; he fell in love when he got to know the real her underneath, aka got to know YOU") fried her brain. And we saw what I had follow from that. THAT was my story to tell for TMP, and I hope I did it well.

A dirty little secret... When I started TMP, I knew how it would begin, and I knew where I wanted my characters to be at the end. Almost everything else in the middle was one-chapter-at-a-time improvisation with my bare-bones outline as a very light framework for it. I didn't think up the Masquerade until I actually started Chapter 4, I hadn't planned on the emotional meltdown in 7-8, I was still actively tinkering with the Reveal and afterglow the week that I wrote it. (That's actually how I write most of my stuff.) I may get on Astruc's nerves on Twitter sometimes, but he and his team write some wonderfully dynamic and resonant characters, and I set myself up with a sequential writing challenge; if the situation is _this_ , and I want them to take baby steps towards _that_ , how would these characters get there in a way that isn't either OOC or hamfisted? And you just finished reading the result.

What I don't want to do is simply extend the story without having another defined goal in my head. A lot of really good stories go off the rails that way - they reach a goal, and then it's umpteen chapters of "and then they did THIS! and then they did THAT!" that turn into aimless ramblings. Kind of like what I'm typing at the moment, but that's a different issue. ;) I'd rather have another good idea with a beginning, middle and end and write that than just keep adding to this one.

So, the short answer to a sequel is: Not now... not yet. But never is a strong word...

There is a poll in my profile with a handful of story ideas; I'd be interested to see if any of them appeal to you. My PM box is also open for story prompts, ideas, or just general yelling at me about what I write and what you'd like to see, whether it's a specific story hook or a general concept/theme worth exploring. Who knows? You just might get it written...

And when in doubt... kiss your phone.

\- DFC


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